Ocean Kiss
by xBelekinax
Summary: Sparks fly when two pirates fall in love especially if he's Captain Jack Sparrow and she's Pia Sterlin a long lost friend and an ex-lover.What happens when Pia finds her father's family? And who wins her in the end? Post AWE, Jack OC. Rating due to last chapter. *Image does not belong to me but to PunkRockChick on Mibba*.
1. What the tide washed in: Chapter 1

**This is my first story on so please be kind. Any comments? Please?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC, sadly.**

I closed my eyes and breathed out slowly in frustration. "What's the matter? Are ye scared ye lil' wench?" the drunken pirate leered. My eyes snapped open with renewed anger. "No," I hissed as I drew out my white pistol and pointed it to his head. "I'm trying to convince myself why I shouldn't kill you. The funny thing is, I found no reason." This poor excuse for a man had been bugging me for weeks, and this last pervert move of his was the last straw. The bar went silent and the only sound was of the drunk breathing heavily. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't pull the trigger, I beg you. Maybe it'll save your pathetic life," I growled as I shoved the pistol's barrel between his eyes. He slipped from the stool he was sitting on and fell to the floor, passing out as soon as his lumpy body made contact with the dirty floor. I scrunched my nose in disgust and looked over at the other pirates, now most of them were sober (thanks to me) and said "Anyone else wants to try?" daring them to oppose me. However everyone turned their attention to their rum mugs or bottles. I put away the pistol and strode outside.

Tortuga's cold air welcomed me as I hurried out to the docks. '_Who am I?_' you might ask. I'm no one special; a twenty seven year old from Tortuga, the name's Pia (pronounced as Pee-ya), Pia Sterlin. Probably you have a lot of questions like '_Is your mother one of the wenches?_' or '_Are you a wench?_' or '_Are you a pirate?_' or '_Do you know the Jack Sparrow?_' The answers are yes, no, yes and yes. I know Jack Sparrow quite well; we were friends when we were little kids.

Think of the devil and he appears. Well, not exactly, he wasn't here, but his ship was. The Black Pearl and all her beauty was floating gracefully. "Ah, so the infamous Captain Sparrow is in town," I murmured to myself. I sat down on a barrel, making myself comfortable in my worn-out brown pants, white shirt and brown boots, and preparing to wait for him.

He always slept on his ship. The mutiny that Barbossa carried on him, twice, had left quite an impact. Not long after my train of thought ran out, a figure walked slowly towards the ship. His dread locked hair, brown coat and tricorn hat revealed him to be the man I was waiting for.

"Well, well, well. Look at what the tide washed in," I said as I stood up. His back stiffened, probably because he didn't recognize my voice. He turned slowly and frowned at me. "Do I know you?" he asked after five minutes of trying to remember me. "Of course you do, Jackie," I said using the nick name I used to call him when we were kids. He stared at me in surprise. "Pia?" he asked. "The one and only." "What are you doing here? I mean, what do you want?" I smirked as I jammed my hands in my pockets and walked slowly towards him. "Do I detect a trickle of fear?" "What, you mean I'm afraid of you? Of course not! Why should I-" "Stop acting Jack, you know what I want," I said, no longer smiling or smirking. "Really love, I have no idea what you're talking about," "Oh really, why let me remind you. You owe me 300 doubloons." "Not really, you see, we had agreed that you were going to give me your money, the doubloons, and you were to work on me ship," "Exactly. The funny thing is, when I searched for you the next morning, you were gone," "But seeing as you found work on another ship, that doesn't matter, eh?" (pronounced as a/ey) he said flashing his sly grin. "However," I pressed on "You never honoured your end of the bargain," "Jack Sparrow!" We looked towards the voice's owner and saw a blonde in a tight dress striding over towards Jack.

A look of panic crossed his face as he turned towards me and quickly said "You're hired, as of now," as he grabbed a rope and swung over on board. "I'll be back in a minute, if you dare leave without me…you'll pay for it," I said and ran past the angry blonde to the room I had rented for the night to grab my possessions; which consisted of a sword, the pistol's ammunition, 2 pants, 3 shirts, an extra pair of boots, underwear and the pistol that I was carrying. I shoved everything into a bag and ran to the docks.

And there it was; the Black Pearl and its magnificent glory. Apparently, the woman had gone away. "Oy, Sparrow," I said loudly as he appeared at the wooden railings. "Oh, there you are," he said as he swung a rope over to me. He smiled, thinking that he probably had put me in a fix, however I just smiled back and said "You might want to move out of the way Captain," I grabbed the rope and swung over to the ship as I landed right next to him.

"My room? Or cabin, whatever it's called." He rubbed his chin in mock concentration and said "Well, at the moment we only have 2 rooms available, the crews' and me cabin. I can set up a hammock for you in my cabin, if you'd like, or where the rest of the crew stays, so take your pick," "Oh, your cabin would be nice, I think. But I wonder, where would you sleep?" "In my bed, love. You could sleep in the hammock I'll set up for you, or in my bed, you know that would be a good idea," "Nice try Sparrow," "It's Captain. So you wanna go to the cabin, darlin'?" "You left me no choice," I muttered. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, mate," he said as he flashed a grin.

**This is what Pia's gun looks like:**

**[IMG].com/albums/gg120/Belekina/Medieval_Gifts_Three_Barrell_Revol_.jpg[/IMG]**

**Sorry if it's a little bit short. I'll be updating soon. **


	2. Hello Port Royal: Chapter 2

**This is chapter 2, please review. I really appreciate.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.**

He spent the rest of the night showing me where everything was stored, how his ship worked and the name of each crew member. One thing that surprised me was that there was no bosun. In every other ship, a bosun was always present, and most of them were rather cruel. I'm proud to say that I never was whipped for 'neglecting my duties'.

My job was to take care of the sails, mend any tears and to make sure that they were not tied too tight or too lose and to watch out in the crow's nest. In other words, my job mostly consisted of climbing ropes. But that didn't bother me for I had had a lot of practice.

"So where are we heading for, Captain?" I asked, hanging upside down. "Port Royal," he said looking at me strangely, probably because I was hanging upside down. "Alright," I said as I climbed my way up to the crow's nest.

The view was spectacular. The sun sparkled over the glittering blue sea casting everything into a magical light. Time flew by and I saw land in front of us sooner than I expected. "Land ho!" I shouted, alerting everyone that we were nearing our destination.

A few seconds later, one of the crew, Jack said was called Ragetti, climbed half-way up the rope ladder and said "The Captain wants to talk to you." He started to climb down slowly, thinking that I was going to use the ladder. However I climbed out of the crow's nest grabbed a rope and swung down on deck.

"Hey Gibbs," I said as he passed by, carrying some empty bottles of rum. "Aye?" he said. "Where's Jack?" "In his cabin plotting something probably." He replied. "Thanks," and with that I hurried to Jack's cabin. I knocked on his door and leaned on the door frame.

"You asked for me?" I said as I put my hand on my hip. "Come in," he said not looking up from his maps and compass. He closed the compass, shook it and muttered "I know what I want," and opened it again. "Damn," he said and closed it again as he turned to me. "So, how do you like your stay on _the Pearl_?" he said grinning at me. I narrowed my eyes, "Am I to understand that you're leaving me at Port Royal?" "No. Not for now anyway. We're going to recruit one of our friends. And I need you to go get her once we reach the port." "How?" "Easy. You dress as rich lass, go to her home and tell her to come with you." "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I don't have any dresses." "Who said anything about owning dresses, darlin'," he said as he picked up a yellow lacy dress.

"Elizabeth forgot it here last time she visited _the Pearl_. She wouldn't mind if you borrowed it. Oh and there's matching shoes with heels, jewelry, make up and a corset. That ought to do the trick," "I am not putting on a corset," I said looking at the deadly piece of clothing as if it would attack me. "You're not putting it on, at the moment, but you will in the near future. So, you got the strategy?" I sat down on his bed and said, "Hold on a minute. There are just some tiny problems. 1. I don't know where this girl's house is. 2. I don't know what to tell her. 3. I don't know how to put on a corset. 4. I don't know what exactly is going on."

"We'll fix those. You find her by walking all the way to the main street, turn round in the third left side street and knock on the first door. If you get lost, ask for Elizabeth Turner's house. When you find her tell her that you have a pearl for sale. She's Will Turner's wife. And-I don't think I'll tell you what's going on just yet, darlin'. And if you don't know how to put a corset, why I'll be more than happy to help you love," I sneered and said "Thank you, but no thank you. Now if it pleases you, I need to change in that stupid dress so, get-out," I said as I got up and pointed to the door. "Hmm, don't think I will, this is my cabin, after all. Ow, what was that for?" he said frowning and rubbing the back of his head where I had smacked him. "For being a complete asshole and if I'm not mistaken you're the one who offered me your cabin. Now, OUT!"

He smirked as he walked towards the door while putting on his famous hat. Just as he was about to go out, he turned, winked and closed the door. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "And they say teenage boys are troublesome," I muttered to myself as I walked towards the door and put my ear to its wood. I held my breath and heard someone breathing. I rolled my eyes as I opened the door to find-"What the hell are you eavesdropping for Jack?" I said as he jumped in shock. He grinned awkwardly and with many hand-gestures said "I was making sure that you didn't trip because of those heels love, knowing you're not familiar with them and all. You know, you could break your neck or something," he said trying to be serious.

I sighed and said "Jack, I walk and swing on ropes more than half my time. Walking in heels would be nothing compared to that." He shrugged and said "If you need me, just give me a call," and with another of his suggestive winks he walked towards the helm. I shook my head as I closed the door.

Alright, so I know what most of you are thinking. '_THE Jack Sparrow wanted you and you rebuffed him?_' Let's just say that Jack and I have a-history together. And I'm not eager to relive it. You'll understand in the future.

I quickly removed my pants, shirt and boots and put on the thin under dress that Jack had provided me with. I spent at least half an hour struggling to put the corset on. But after many pathetic attempts and swear words, I managed to put it on, somehow. So I put on the dress quickly, tamed my hair a little bit and sat down to do my make up. Before I put on the killer-heels I decided to take a look around Jack's cabin, where he kept his maps and notes, to be more precise.

There were a couple of maps, some parchment, quills and ink. "So what should we do incase the Captain decides to leave us behind again?" I smirked to myself. I took the most important-looking map, rolled it and tied it with a piece of cloth to my thigh. "Now if Captain Jack decides to deceive me he'll sorely regret it," I muttered to myself.

Before I decided to put on my shoes, I grabbed a small dagger and tied it to my inner arm, where it was hidden among the laces and pocketed some money. I also went to check if we had made port and, to my dismay, we had. So I put on my shoes and climbed over to the lowered boat.

"Have a nice trip your majesty," Ragetti mocked as his friend, Pintel, started to laugh. I just glared upwards and gave them both the middle finger as I began rowing towards Port Royal.

"Hello Port Royal," I muttered to myself.


	3. Back on the Pearl: Chapter 3

**Third Chapter for you, loves. I hope you enjoy the story, really I do. And I hope that some of you would be kind enough to leave a couple of reviews. Thanks again :).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any POTC characters. **

I rowed all the way to the port and tied the small boat to the wooden pier's leg. I was walking towards the main road when a man in a ridiculous wig carrying a heavy book, a quill, a bag of money and being followed by a black boy came up to me.

"It's a shilling to leave your boat at the port and to register your name in this," he said as he opened the book. "Please sir, I don't have any money. I just came to get a distant cousin of my husband's to leave on that merchant ship," I said as I pointed to the colourless (flagless) _Black Pearl_. "It seems like a pirate ship to me," he said icily. "It looks a bit shabby next to the other merchant ships, I know. But the Captain isn't very rich. I really have no money. I just have 3 shillings which I intend to buy a pair of pants and a shirt for my husband. I want him to die well clothed and happy," I said in a mock desperate voice as I pretended to brush a tear. I looked at his face; he was dubious so I pretended to stifle a sob.

That did the trick, he closed the book and said "Welcome to Port Royal Mrs. Smith," and he walked away. I nodded my head slightly and, smirking to myself inwardly, set out following Jack's directions.

I walked all the way to the main street, third left Side Street, the first house. I found Elizabeth's house alright. And I also bumped into a man dressed in the Royal Navy's uniform. He seemed to be in a very bad mood as he said "Watch where you're going," without even looking at me. I nearly responded back, but I remembered that a normal respectable lady _*cough cough* _wouldn't retort so I bit my tongue and settled myself by glaring at his retreating figure. I walked up to the house and knocked.

A young woman, about my age with golden brown wavy hair and brown eyes, opened the door and frowned at me. "Is that my dress?" she asked. _Alright, not quite according to plan. _

I rolled my eyes and said "Mrs Turner, I just came to tell you that I have a pearl for sale." Her eyes widened in disbelief as she grabbed my arm and hauled me inside, slamming the door shut. I turned around, readying myself to give her a piece of my mind. "Don't make a fuss, the East India Trading Company is on my back and we don't have to blow everything," she whispered. "I got your back," I whispered.

"I only have one favour to ask of you." "Shoot away," she replied. "Can I take a bath? We're about to embark on a ship, and you know that this particular one is not very, hygienic." Elizabeth nodded and took me to her bathroom as she hurried around her house packing and preparing.

In about half an hour I was ready and, once again, struggling with my corset, when Elizabeth strode in. "Bloody corset, just-won't…fit!" I swore as I tugged on the strings and turned and twisted when suddenly I slipped and fell with an "Oomph." Elizabeth chuckled as she helped me up. "Here, let me help you with it," she said as she started to tug and pull at the string. "I can't-breath! Damn corsets!" I cursed. "You'll get used to it. Eventually. It's going to take me a while to settle some things. I hope you don't mind waiting," she said. "Sure, no problem. In fact I have to settle some things myself. I said as I tied the dagger to my inner arm and map to my thigh. "I'll explain, someday," I said as I noticed her inquiring look and slipped on the dress.

A couple of minutes later I was all dolled up (and hating it) and making my way to the nearest clothes shop where I bought some pants and shirts another pair of boots. I also bought 2 pieces of leather which I covered the palm of my hands with, so I wouldn't get rope burns. (That is the palm of my hand was covered, excluding the fingers, and tied across the back of my hand with some thin rope and with a loop through my middle finger, also made of thin rope; palm-protectors).

Half an hour or so later we were rowing back to _the Pearl_. The first thing I did was storm to Jack's cabin, threw him out and changed back into my 'normal' clothes and the underwear that I had sewn myself (note from author: ok, so if you haven't noticed, Pia's talking about modern bra's and low rise panties. If you're wondering how she managed to sew the bra; she cut out parts from corsets, if you know what I mean. I decided to make her design her own underwear since I figured that wearing those old panties and corsets are uncomfortable, and staying without underwear around men {even though with clothes on} can be rather awkward. Sorry about all the ramblings, just had to explain some things) and put the map back on his desk.

I laughed so hard at Elizabeth's look when she was my underwear (we used Jack's cabin as a changing room). "That's-strange," she said. "Yeah I know," I laughed. We looked at the door as we heard Gibbs' urgent shout of "All hands on board!" So I put on the glove like leather straps, belted my sword and pistol quickly and hopped outside putting on my left boot (I had already put on the right one).

"That's a navy ship and-it's flying the East India Trading Company flag!" Marty shouted, who was climbing the shrouds (those net like things). "East India? I thought they were busted at Shipwreck Island," I muttered to myself as I climbed up the shroud and heaved myself in the crow's nest.

Just then I heard someone puffing and panting and seeing as the navy had started to swing on the Pearl's deck I took out my pistol, cocked it and pointed it at the climbing person's face. Elizabeth's face stared at me, unafraid. "I'm to take your post; Jack wants you down there," she said as she jerked her head downwards.

I shrugged as I tucked the pistol in the red sash I had tied around my waist and swung down on deck. Just then a hand clamped on my shoulder and, instinctively, I took my dagger from where it was tied to my inner arm and put it aggressively to his neck.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. I recognized him as the man who had bumped in me back at Port Royal.


	4. You'll be begging me: Chapter 4

**Fourth chapter for you people. I also want to thank 'Moon Sun and Stars' for being the first one to review my story. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own POTC.**

"That is what '_I_' should be asking '_you_'," I snarled as I unsheathed my sword and dropped the dagger in my boot. A flash of, what I recognized to be, old hidden cruelty flashed across his eyes and was gone as quickly as it came.

"So the lady likes to play?" he said, mocking me. "Better than 'pretending' like the landlubber in front of me," I said as he unsheathed his sword as well. We started circling each other. "Landlubber? Hardly," he said as he attacked, however I easily sidestepped him.

"Don't try to go easy on me, 'coz I won't," I said and lunged at him. He easily blocked and swung his sword at my left hip. However I swung my hips to the right and blocked with the flat side of my sword, swung it (along with his) to the right, flicked the weapon from the right to my left hand and swiped towards his right hip. However, my blade met his so I switched my blade from my left to my right hand and quickly attacked his head. But again he blocked and attacked towards my head, which I easily escaped by crouching and letting him pass from over my head. This carried on and after some time I was taking the upper hand until

…

until I stepped on something small, round, wooden and slippery and fell on my back, loosing my sword in the process. I realized that I had stepped on Ragetti's wooden eye (note: he bought another one after loosing the original one At World's End). The man I was fighting against put his sword's tip to my neck, sneering.

"Game over," he said. "For you," I continued as I took out my pistol from the red sash around my waist and pointed it at him. "Going to shot me?" he asked. "Maybe. Give me one reason why I shouldn't," I replied as I cocked it and got up, pointing the pistol between his eyes. "Alright, alright, alright, break it up there. Cutler Beckett, still alive I see. You can go back to the nest," Jack said as he walked over to us.

I put my pistol away in my sash and sheathed my sword, "See you another time, Beckett," I said as I walked over to the shrouds and started climbing one that lead to the crow's nest. Just as I stepped in the crow's nest, I saw the Navy stepping back to their ship. Clearly Beckett, or whatever his name was, had struck a deal with Jack.

~later on in the evening~

I swung down on deck as Pintel and Ragetti were anchoring the ship. My stomach's constant growling was reminding me that I had spent an entire day without food or drink, so I quickly hurried to the _Pearl_'s prow where the rest of the crew were pigging out and sloshing rum down their throats. Seeing their grimy fingers in the food made me hurry to kitchen, where I found a placid guy, Nigzer, who was the cook. I managed to coax him into giving me some bread, cheese (which thankfully hadn't started to rot yet) and the last bottle of rum.

I sat on the railings looking out towards the sea and twisting my legs around the balustrades to prevent myself from falling in the waters, as I ate my poor dinner. "So why aren't you with the rest of the crew?" a voice asked. Jack. "I got disgusted by their dipping of their dirty fingers in their food. Not even pigs eat that way," I said grimacing.

He chuckled as he leaned on the railings looking out at the twinkling stars and calm velvety waters; clearly he was mesmerized by this scene just like me. "I see this scene nearly everyday and still I'm not accustomed to it," I sighed. "Neither am I," he replied quietly. I was surprised that he didn't make a cocky comment as usual. It almost sounded as if it was the Jack Sparrow I knew who was talking, the fifteen years old one who had lost his mother recently. He had changed, oh yes he did.

"What are you frowning at?" he asked, still looking out at the sea. "Just thinking," I said as I took a swig of rum. "About what?" he inquired. "Now, why should I be telling you?" I said smiling slightly. "Because I'm the captain," he replied. "Persuade me, Captain," I said as I swung down from my perch. He turned to look at me, with an odd twinkling in his eyes.

Here we go again.

"Are you sure?" he whispered as he lowered his lips towards mine. "Absolutely," I breathed. "Absolutely 100% sure?" he asked again. A half grin made its way over my face. "You know that tactic doesn't work with me," I said as I stepped back. "We'll see, love. Before long you'll be begging me," "What makes you so sure of yourself?" I asked. "One word love, curiosity," he said showing his golden teeth in a grin. "I wouldn't be so sure of that. You see, I've already had a taste of what you offer, remember?" "How could I forget? Want to refresh the memories, darling?" "In your dreams, Jack. Now I'm off to bed. You can finish this," I said as I handed him half the bottle of rum I had been drinking and walked towards his cabin, where my hammock was waiting for me.

I was lying on the hammock, in my long nightshirt, when Jack came in. Needless to say, I pretended to be sleeping. However this was all unnecessary as he immediately removed his coat, hat, boots and weapons and flopped on his bed, completely ignoring me. A couple of minutes later he was snoring gently.

I turned round and looked at him, and frowned. He was, once again, the Jack Sparrow that I knew. I was shocked and surprised to see his façade dropped, to see him so…vulnerable? '_No, that couldn't be. Jack Sparrow, vulnerable? Yeah, right!_' I scoffed as this thought raced through my mind.

But he did look so peaceful, so… I don't know, serene. Well, he was sleeping, so it was obvious that he was serene. Wasn't it? Or could there be another reason why I was so enthralled and fascinated by his sleeping face?

'_Before long you'll be begging me._' His words echoed in my mind as I huffed and turned around. _I could not, would not fall for Jack Sparrow, as I had done some years before._

**I'll try to update as fast as I can. I apologize if it's not fast enough. I'll try to do my best.**


	5. Falling for him again: Chapter 5

**Ok, peeps, fifth chapter for you. I hope you like it. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.**

Jack's Point of View

Jack was feeling quite strange, as if he wasn't alone in his cabin. If he had slept at Tortuga, he wouldn't have been surprised; probably he would have found Giselle or Scarlett beside him. But he was certain that he was on the Pearl, out at sea, so who could it be?

He couldn't think clearly, of that he was sure. He needed rum. As he got up he noticed a hammock that was set up in his cabin. _Ah, yes, Pia had been sleeping in his cabin as well_.

A small smile tugged at his lips as his gaze roamed her body. The soft cotton see-through night-shirt had slipped just above her hips, revealing her white, low-rise panties. Her dark lashes were resting on her soft cheeks and her dark brown hair tumbled around her shoulders. The early sunlight made her tanned skin look as if she was made of golden bronze. He had nearly forgotten her elegant beauty during the years he had spent at sea without seeing her.

He put on his boots, coat and weapons and strode outside, quietly shutting the door behind him. He walked over to Gibbs who was at the helm and said "Any rum left?" "Nay," he denied. "We need to make port; Tortuga's the nearest, right?" Jack said as he took out his compass. "Aye," Gibbs replied. Jack frowned as the compass pointed nearly everywhere. He wasn't sure where he wanted to go. He had practically visited every nook and every cranny in the Caribbean.

"Do we have a heading, Capt'n?" Gibbs said, interrupting his train of thought. "Aye, Tortuga. We need rum," Jack said as he took the wheel in his hands, guiding the ship through the waters. Gibbs went away, muttering something about tying some cargo.

He heard the clunk of boots and sighed. "What now, Gibbs?" he said. "I'm not Gibbs," Pia yawned. "Morning, love," Jack said grinning at her. "Where are we going?" she asked. "Tortuga, darling," he replied.

Normal Point of View.

"Tortuga, darling," he replied. "Why?" I asked. We had been at Tortuga just 2 days before. "We're out of rum," he replied simply. "And after that?" "Still thinking about it, love," he replied. That meant he had no idea.

"Hey, I have an idea, why don't we pay a visit to the Mediterranean Sea?" "The Mediterranean? What's so special about it?" he said frowning. I shrugged as I sat on the railings. "I heard it's called '_The Home of Pirates_'. There are all sorts of pirates; Muslims, Ottomans, Christians, French, Cavaliers, Maltese and who know what else. I also heard that pirates were present since the Phoenicians," I said, tempting him.

His frown deepened, "And why should we go?" he said. "Because I thought you were out of ideas and because there are a lot of treasures," I said. At the mention of treasure he looked at me, trying to see if I was telling the truth. "And because I know where Calypso's cave is," I said pressing on. "Calypso's cave? Are you sure?" he said. "Aye. The very cave she lived in when she was with Ulysses. Legend says that one can find information on the fountain of youth and items of a valuable nature," I said smirking. "Go take care of the sails," he said. "Aye Captain," I replied as I got down from the railings.

"Master Gibbs!" Jack said as I started tending the sails. "Take care of the wheel. We're heading to Tortuga," he said as Gibbs hurried from below deck and hurried to the helm.

"All hands on deck! Wake up you lazy dogs! I want all hands on deck! I want movement!" Jack shouted as he opened the door leading to where the rest of the crew was sleeping. I chuckled as I started climbing the ropes, to tie up where the knots were getting loose. "Seems we are visiting the Mediterranean," I said to myself.

~some time later~

I had been in the crow's nest for the past hour or so, twirling my boot. There had been no sight of anything except water, water and yet more water. I looked up to check if we were nearing Tortuga and vaguely saw land. So I quickly put on my boot, stood up and shouted "Land ahoy!" and swung down on deck.

Everyone cheered, except Pintel who grumbled "I don't see no land." "You wait and see. If we continue at this rate we'll arrive in half an hour or so," I said earning another round of cheers. I grinned as I walked over to Jack, who was in his cabin calculating and rummaging through his maps.

"We sighted land, Captain," I said grinning. He just grunted in reply. Clearly, the lack of rum was leaving its mark. "We'll be getting rum in half an hour," I said as he looked up at me hopeful. "Good," he said. "So, I guess you'd be wanting some information about our soon to be journey to the Mediterranean," "Like what?" he said.

I sighed and said "Are you really that dumb without rum?" He scowled at me. "What I meant is you'd probably want to know what we'll need for the journey, what we need to be aware of, how much food we'll need to stock up and actually where we're going," I said as I sat on a free space on his desk. He sighed as he sat down on his chair, removed his hat and said "Tell me."

"When we reach Tortuga we need to stock a lot and I mean a lot of food and rum, so you could function and think normally coz we're on for a long journey. After Tortuga we circle the main land, stop at Puerto Rico and cross the Atlantic. Then we reach the Strait of Gibraltar and we're in the Mediterranean. Then it's a short journey to Gozo, or Ogygia, whichever you like," I finished. He scowled.

"The Atlantic? Do you have any idea how large it is?" "Yeah, twice the size of the Caribbean, give or take," I said. "Is there any other way?" he asked. "Sure. Instead we take the other route. We cross the Pacific Ocean, which is roughly the size of trice and a half of the Caribbean. We reach Asia, circle it and Africa, risk meeting a couple of cannibal tribes than reach the Strait of Gibraltar, whichever you like Jack," I said. "I think I'll stick to the original plan, the one with the Atlantic Ocean. Do you have any maps of these oceans?" he asked.

I grinned. "I thought your compass would lead you," "Of course love. But I would like to see where we're going with my own eyes, savvy?" I nodded. "I'm afraid I don't have maps. However, I can tell you where you can obtain them," "Where would that be?" he asked. I smiled a knowing smile.

"Who is the owner of the most famous tavern in Tortuga where most drunk pirates rent a room at night and most of them forget something or other?" I said. "Jonah," he said. "Exactly," I replied trying to imitate his smirk.

"Hey! That's my smirk!" Jack exclaimed as soon as he realized what I was trying to do. There's no need to say that I burst out laughing. "Hey! That's my smirk!" I said copying him, laughing harder as he started to smile.

"Making fun of the Captain, aren't we? I'll teach you what happens to cheeky sailors on me ship," he said as he suddenly pulled me from my legs and threw me over his shoulder and walked over to his bed. "Jack! Put me down!" I giggled.

"As you wish, milady," he said as dropped me on his bed and got on top of me. "If I remember correctly, you're very ticklish. Aren't you, Cherry?" he asked, using my childhood nickname he had fashioned for me when we were kids. My eyes went wide open.

"No, don't you dare. Don't you even try. No, no-Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!" I shrieked and laughed and twisted and turned as he tickled me. "No! Stop it! Jack, I said stop it!" and I started laughing again. "No! Jack, stop! I can't breath!" I panted between one laugh and another as he finally stopped. I gasped for breath as he grinned his devilish grin.

"You know, you haven't changed much," he stated. "Neither have you," I stated and started laughing again. "What's funny? I'm not tickling you, yet," he said.

"No. it's just that, ha-ha, you said you were going to teach me what happens to '_cheeky sailors_' on your ship. Does this mean that if, let's say Ragetti, is cheeky you end up tickling him as well?" "You cheeky little wench! Of course I don't!" he exclaimed and started tickling me again, throwing me into another fit of laughter.

"Jack, stop. The crew-someone might come-" I started however I was interrupted as the door flew open and Gibbs came in. "Cap'n, we've- oh s-sorry!" he stuttered as he started to blush. "What Gibbs?" Jack said annoyed as he got up. "We've made port," he replied. "I'll be out in a short while. Alert the crew, I need to talk to them." Jack said. "Aye Captain" and he went out closing the door.

Jack looked at me as I sat beside him, trying to fix my hair. "Till another time, love," he whispered in my ear as he got up and went out. I shook my head, smiling. He was still the same old Jack I knew, just changed a little bit.

I stopped dead in my tracks as I discovered that I was smiling.

_I wasn't falling for him again, was I?_

**If you have any trouble visioning Pia, I imagined her that she looked like Selita Ebanks. **

**Any reviews? Please?**


	6. Meeting Jonah: Chapter 6

**This is the sixth chapter, I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own POTC.**

I walked out after finally finding my right boot under the bed. Gibbs walked up to me. "I'm sorry miss for walking in on ye earlier," he apologized. "Don't worry Gibbs," I said smiling.

"All right men," Jack said "And women," he added as he caught Elizabeth's and my glare. "You have the day and night free to do whatever you want. By the crack of dawn make sure you're on the Pearl or you'll be left behind. Make sure you eat your fill while in Tortuga as we're gonna cross the Atlantic next," Jack said as he paraded in front of the crew. There were several grumbles, "Anyone who doesn't want to come, can stay behind," he snapped. However there were a lot of "_No Capt'n_,"s or "_We'll be here Capt'n_,"s. everyone started to walk down the gangplank as Jack turned towards Gibbs, Elizabeth and me.

"As of you three," he said pointing to us. "Go see what money there's left, get it and come with me," "I'll get it Capt'n," Gibbs replied. "You are going to go search for a doctor. We'll be needing one for our journey," Jack told Elizabeth. "And you," he said turning to me "You'll be telling me where Jonah is and which maps we'll be needing. And you," he ended turning to Gibbs who had just arrived with a bag of money "Will take care to fill all the cupboards and make sure we've got lots of food and drinks. Especially rum, especially rum." he said muttering the last piece to himself.

"Come on then. Let's get movin'!" he said as he strutted forward on the gangplank. Gibbs went after him, followed by Elizabeth and then me. "You know the orders. Be here by the crack of dawn," and with that Elizabeth and Gibbs went on their way while I followed Jack to Jonah's Tavern.

Jonah was pretty much like an uncle to me and it wasn't once or twice that I spent a night at his tavern for free. So you can imagine his surprise as soon as he saw me at his tavern.

"There's my baby! What've you been up to lately?" he exclaimed as soon as he saw me while giving me a one handed hug. "Ouch! Jonah you're crushing my shoulder," I said laughing. "Sorry lass. Forgot how fragile you are," he said chuckling. "Hey!" I said as I hit him on the shoulder. "So what brings you here? I heard you ran off on _The Black Pearl_," he said as he resumed drying some glasses.

"Sure. We need some help, as a matter of fact," I said as I pulled Jack forward who was trying to hide behind a large potted plant. Apparently the blonde woman who had scared him the first day I stepped on the Pearl was in the bar. "What kind of help would you be needin, says I," Jonah went on.

"Well," I said rubbing the back of my neck. "You see, we're about to, uh, you know, cross the Atlantic and maybe we thought you could lend us a couple of maps?" I said turning the last sentence to a question. "Sure thing. Gimme a moment, will ya? Hey Tom!" he bellowed as a short man made his way across the room. "Yo Jonah," he replied. "Take care of the bar, will ya? I gotta help me lass on summa't," he said as he sat the cloth and glass on the bar.

"Oh, will I get ye anything Captain Sparrow? Free of charge, since you know my niece," he said smiling. _Told you he treats me like his niece, even though we're not related biologically_. "A bottle of rum, please," I said. He nodded as he grabbed one and handed it to Jack. "Thanks mate," Jack said as he bit off the cork and chugged down the rum.

I tugged at his coat. "Jack, we need to take care of something, remember?" I said. "Sure I do love," he replied. _Alright, so he's back to normal._ We followed Jonah to the back room where he kept odds and ends.

Just as we were about to enter I grabbed Jack and pulled him back as I whispered "Don't you dare and try to touch anything, or I swear I'll cut your fingers off." He frowned. "What makes you think I'll try to smuggle something out?" "Knowing you, you'd probably try to make off with something. I've warned you. Don't you even _dare_," I hissed. He raised his hands as if in surrender.

"You comin in or what?" Jonah said from inside the room. "Yeah we're coming," I said as I pushed Jack in front of me. "So, this is a map of the Atlantic and this is of the Mediterranean," Jonah said as he handed Jack two pieces of parchment. After looking at them and pocketing them, he looked up and frowned. "How do you know, we're going to said Mediterranean?" he asked. Jonah laughed. "Pia's been trying to go there since forever," he said as we made our way out. "Hey Jonah, we gotta go. You know, we're kinda in a hurry," I said. "One moment P. Come 'ere Sparrow. You and I need to talk, fer a moment," he said. Jack looked at me in a confused manner, but I was just as confused as he was so I just shrugged as they walked over a couple of steps.

"Now let me make this clear. If I hear that you've hurt Pia one way or another, and be sure that I'll hear of it, you'll regret the day you ever did boy. Tha' girl's been hurt enough already. Don't need no else ter break her heart again," Jonah said. "We clear mate?" "Crystal," Jack replied, still confused.

He made his way over to me and whispered "That guy's got some issues," "Nah, he just looks out for me," I replied. "Bye Jonah," I said as he waved back. "I'm going back to the _Pearl_," I said once we were outside. "I still gotta take care of some stuff," he replied. "See you later then," I said as I walked towards the docks. On my way there I bought a couple of apples and a bottle of rum, which I ate on my way to _the Pearl_.

"Hey Elizabeth," I said as soon as I boarded the _Pearl_. "Hey Pia," she replied. "So, you found a doctor?" I asked. "Aye. He'll be boarding soon," she replied. Just then a fifty something frail looking man walked on the gangplank.

"Mrs. Turner, Miss Sterlin," he said nodding his head at us. I cocked my head to the side, frowning in confusion. "Do I know you?" I asked. "No," he chuckled. "But I know you. Everyone knows you. It's not common for a woman from Tortuga to become a pirate, an honest one at that. Mrs Turner, would you mind showing me where my hammock would be?" he said. "Of course, follow me Mr. Remington," she replied.

"Before I forget, Captain Sparrow was asking for you," he said turning to me. "Where was he?" "Outside The Faithful Bride," he replied. "Thanks, best I'd be off," I said walking down the gangplank to Tortuga.

_**VERY IMPORTANT:**_

**Just a small note, Jonah is The Faithful Bride's owner, just wanted to clear up any doubts and such. I would really appreciate if you left a couple of reviews. **


	7. Arm Wrestling: Chapter 7

**Alright dearies, here's chappie 7 for ya. Hope you enjoy it. Please just me one review. Just one measly small one? Anyone?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own POTC.**

I sighed to myself as I walked to Jonah's Tavern. What had Jack gotten himself into now?

"Ah, Pia. The woman I wanted to see," I heard him say. The blonde woman was in front of him. "What's wrong?" I asked as he snaked his arm around my waist. "Help me," he muttered in my ear. "I was just telling Giselle that we're together now. But she won't believe me." he said sighing dramatically. "Oh and why is that?" I asked feigning surprise.

"Because Jack Sparrow never settles down with a woman, especially with someone like you," she said sneering the whole time. "And what would you know about me?" I asked. "You're Pia Sterlin, enough said," Giselle said. "In that case, I'll show you," I replied as I wound my index-finger around Jack's chin braids and brought his face close to mine.

"Work with me," I whispered against his lips as I kissed him. At first he was shocked, but when he felt me smirk, he kissed back, smirking one of his famous smirks. His tongue ran lightly on my bottom lip, asking for entrance. However, I denied it and stopped kissing him. I turned to Giselle.

"If you know me as well as you claim you do, you know that I don't randomly kiss men. That should be proof enough for you," I said. A smirk made its way up my face as I saw her seething with anger.

She raised her hand and I knew what was coming, she was about to slap Jack. However, I easily caught her wrist before her palm made contact with his face. "I'd appreciate it if you keep your hands off my man and keep them to yourself," I said, before releasing her wrist. I didn't need to look sideways to realize that Jack was smirking. Her hand flew towards us again, this time aiming at my face. I caught her wrist again, and sighed.

"You know you'll have to do better than that if you want to defeat me, which I doubt you'll be able to, anyway," I said. "What makes you think I'm not strong enough?" she hissed. I put my hand to my chin, in mock concentration. "Well the fact that I work on a ship, tending the sails and climbing ropes and you don't. Oh, and the fact that I'm a pirate and you're just a street-walker or harlot, whichever you like," I said waving my hand about.

"I challenge you to a match of arm wrestling," she hissed. "Now this is getting interesting. What will I get if I win?" I asked. She pulled a small leather bag of money from the folds of her dress (as big as a clenched fist). "This," she said jingling it. "And if I win?" she asked. I thought for a moment, I didn't have any idea what to put up against her seeing as I had no money left.

I grinned, "Captain Jack Sparrow," I replied. "What?" he asked shocked. "Done," she said pushing her hand forwards for me to shake it. "Done," I said shaking her hand. "Undone," Jack said as he tore my hand from her grasp. "Trust me on this," I whispered in his ear as we made our way to the nearest pub where the rest of the crew was carousing.

Giselle walked up to the barman and after whispering something in his greasy ear, he came out from behind the bar and in a loud obnoxious voice shouted "All right lads, clear it up. We have some serious business here." The customers were the crew of _the Black Pearl_ and they immediately started grumbling and arguing. "Come on, we don't want to upset the ladies, do we?" he shouted. At the word 'ladies' they started jeering, catcalling and wolf whistling.

I was surprised to see that Giselle was feeling uncomfortable. So I removed Jack's arm from my waist and turned to face the crew, my hand resting casually on my pistol. I didn't say anything, just stepped forward and glared at them, cold and hard. The noise died down in less than ten seconds when they realized who they were jeering at.

"Does anyone want to tell me something?" I said quietly, my eyes narrowed at them. I spoke silently but every one of them recognized the threat that lined my tone of voice. (If you haven't noticed Pia loves to threaten with her white pistol). No one answered and I muttered a silent "Good." "What are you all staring at? Go on, back to your rum and bets," Jack said as everyone hustled back and started carousing like they were doing before we came in.

The barman cleared a table and Jack, Giselle and I walked over to it. The money was placed on the table and Jack sat down on a stool. Giselle sat on another stool near the corner of the table and I sat on the remaining stool with the corner between us. She rolled up her lacey sleeves as opposed to my plain cotton ones.

"Hey! It's an arm wrestling match!" Ragetti shouted as we placed our right elbow on the table and gripped each other's hand. There was a total uproar as soon as his shout hit the pirates' ears while they piled around us to watch the outcome. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jack twisting one of his chin braids in nervousness so I decided to toy around with him for some time. "On the count of three," the barman announced.

"One, two, THREE!" he bellowed. There was a lot of shouting from the pirates, the crew was, obviously, supporting me and the other drinkers were supporting Giselle. I realized that several bets were being made on who was going to win. Giselle immediately started pushing her arm, trying to pin mine on the table's rough wooden surface. I held her hand straight and it looked as if there was no movement. "Oy you, bring me a mug of rum," I ordered Pintel. He went over to the bar and brought me my mug from another barman, grumbling all the way. It was quite small in size and I immediately drained it. Jack was still in his nervous state.

This time I let Giselle push my hand down slowly, so it looked as if she was winning. When the back of my hand was only about half an inch from the wooden table, I sighed and shook my head. I gripped her hand and pushed her arm to the other side, immediately pinning it and winning the match. The boisterous small crowd cheered loudly and there were several grumbles from those who lost the gamble.

I extended my hand towards her and she slammed the leather bag of money in my hand before stomping out. I laughed as I went outside as well, putting the small bag in my pocket. Once outside, I felt someone grip my shoulder, and knowing how unsafe it was for a woman in Tortuga at night, I whirled around and gripped the man's throat. "Whoa, girl. Calm down, it's me, Jack," he spluttered. I released him as I said, "Sorry 'bout that. You surprised me for a moment," I said.

He grumbled for a moment and after walking around for a couple of minutes he said "Wanna go take a drop of rum?" "Sure thing," I replied as we made our way to yet another tavern.

We ordered a bottle of rum each and after drinking half of it I said "What do you want this time Jack?" he feigned surprise at my question and I rolled my eyes. "Oh come on, I know you like the back of my hand. What do you want this time?" "I wanted to thank you for helping me out back there," he said and I nodded my head for him to continue. "But I'm sure you'd agree with me that without my help you wouldn't have won that nice little pouch of money," he said. "In a manner of speaking, yes. But without my help, you would have been slapped silly by her," I replied. "True," he said nodding his head. I took out the money and placed it on the table. "You want half the money, right?" I asked. He shook his head.

"I want three quarters since I was your, how do I say it, the stakes on your behalf. You know for the risk," he replied motioning with his hands as usual. I shook my head. "Half or less or nothing," I said as I seized the little pouch. His hand clasped mine; obviously he had tried to snatch the money as well, however he was a fraction of a second late. "Slowpoke," I smirked.

He scowled and said "Very well, we split to take 50-50." See, I told I was fair. I got the money because of him, he got out of the mess because of me and it was only fair to take half.

There were 75 coins so I took 38 leaving him with 37. "That's your and this is mine. And this coin," I said taking the extra one I had, "Will go for our rum." After paying the barman and gulping down the remaining of my rum I strode outside, making my way slowly to the _Pearl_.

**I'll try to update as soon as I can. More reviews means faster updates, think of them as the fuel…**


	8. Jack to the rescue: Chapter 8

**Alright peeps, here's chapter 8 for ya. I would like to thank all my readers and those who added my story on their favourite story list (or whatever it's called). Thanks ****Moon Sun and Stars****, ****tikimasala16**** and ****callieandjack****. Thanks!! ******

I was feeling slightly lightheaded and a bit too carefree, due to the two and a half bottles of rum I had drank in the time span of two hours, to notice the heavy footsteps thumping on the dusty ground behind. Until someone's greasy hand clamped itself on my mouth, muffling my scream.

I elbowed my captor in the ribs and a grunt confirmed that my hit was true. His grip on my face faltered and I bit his hand. However I immediately regretted it. His hand had an oily greasy tang to it, and I suspected that it was some type of lubricant, grease maybe?

Before I could do anything else, I felt a pair of hands searching my pockets as I struggled, trying to defend my money. I swung my leg back and hit my captor in his – err – 'ding-dongs'. He swore as he threw me in a dark alley, banging my head on the cobblestoned street. I was too dazed to react.

"I'll meet you later," he grunted to someone else. This threw me back into action but as I scrambled up, he grabbed my leg and pulled me back to the ground. For a moment the moon's shining rays fell on him. He was a bald dirty pirate, with his stomach spilling over his belted tattered baggy breeches and wearing a very dirty shirt.

"I'll teach you how to kick me in the balls, you whore" he said as he sat on my pelvic area and gripped my wrists tightly over my head with one hand. "I was under the impression that you didn't have any," I said as I struggled to get free of the stinky bastard. The last comment only earned me a slap.

"Get off me! What the-Hey! Let go, you stupid stinking bastard!" I said as his hand ran lightly on my stomach. I tried to sound intimidating as I said the last remark, but to my dismay it sounded like a squeal more than anything. "Nice to hear you squeal," he chuckled as he hooked his hand in my shirt and shoved his hand down, ripping my shirt's buttons. Amusement danced in his pig-like eyes as he saw that I wasn't wearing a corset but a bra (every woman wore a corset at the time, remember?).

"Get off me or I'll scream," I threatened still struggling futilely. "Go ahead, no will hear your pathetic voice," he said. I filled my lungs with air, preparing myself for an earsplitting, bloodcurdling, spine-chilling scream. But before the slightest noise escaped my throat, he pushed his slimy disgusting lips on mine, shoving his repulsive tongue down my throat.

I let out a muffled scream, still struggling and thrashing under him. 'Oh hell no' I thought as I felt his hardened member pressing against me. "Pia, you here?" I heard someone calling for me. I recognized the voice's owner to be Jack.

I started screaming and yelling and struggling with new ferocity. But my shrieks were muffled. "Pia? Come out, this isn't funny. I know you're somewhere here," he said passing right by the alley were I was. I thumped my foot on the ground and thanks to my boot a clunking noise made its way urgently to Jack's ear.

"Pia?" he said as he looked back in the alley he had overlooked. I shrieked a muffled screech and thumped my foot again, more urgently. "There you are. What are you doing on the fl-" he started as he strode in the alley. He stopped mid-sentence and mid-stride, his mouth hanging wide open as he saw me struggling under the dirty pirate with his lips shoved on mine.

"Get off me lass, you filthy son of a bitch!" Jack growled as he shoved him off me with his boot. Despite his large belly, the pirate who had forced himself on me quickly jumped up and attacked Jack. They fell to the floor rolling around and punching each other, both physically and verbally.

I couldn't button up the shirt since nearly all the buttons were missing. So I tied it from the front (so it looked like a half top with a knot). I looked at the two fighting pirates. Jack was panting and wiping a bloody lip while the other (whom I still didn't know his name) was getting up from the floor. He looked my way and smirked and my anger, which had been subsiding, flared up again.

I didn't realize it, but I had launched myself at him knocking him off balance. My left hand found his throat and clenched tightly as I punched him repeatedly in the face with my right fist. "Pia, come on let's go. His mates' are coming," Jack said, but his voice didn't reach my ears. All I was focused on was the hateful face which I was punching repeatedly.

Sighing to himself, he wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me away from the other. "Let go of me!" I growled as I struggled. He stumbled and I managed to escape, this time I didn't punch the guy, who was knocked out cold by the way, this time I kicked him repeatedly anywhere and everywhere. It didn't matter where. A pair of hands grasped my shoulders and shook me hard. I whirled around and grabbed my attacker from the throat. "Pia let's go! We're out numbered three to one!" he said, only then did I realize that I was threatening Jack.

"Sorry, didn't realize it was you," I mumbled as we ran all the way to the Pearl. We stopped to catch our breath before boarding the Pearl. "Wait," I said as I sat down on the ground. Jack looked at me with raised eyebrows as I pulled off my boots, pistol, sword and dagger.

"If you think I'm not going to remove that creep's stench from me you're sorely mistaken. Take my stuff back to the cabin. I'll meet you on the Pearl," I said before I dived in the sea. I rinsed my mouth with the salty sea water. I know what you're saying, probably thoughts like 'Eeeww!' and 'Yuck!' are passing through your mind, and I don't blame you.

But think of it this way, would you rinse your mouth with sea water if some random ugly fat drunk guy sticks his tongue down your throat? Ha, thought so you'd say yes.

Just then a rope gently brushed my shoulder and as I looked up at the ship, I saw Jack. "Grab this. I'll haul you up," he said. I was glad he did this as I had no strength left in me. As soon as my feet touched the deck, I felt a large towel (which was surprisingly clean) being wrapped around me and a pair of strong warm arms lifting me up bridal style.

Exhaustion hit me like a hammer at that moment and I yawned widely. "Come on, I'll wait outside while you dry yourself and change your clothes," Jack whispered in my ear as he set my feet on the ground and closed the cabin door behind him.

Thoughts were racing through my mind at such speed and intensity that a headache was making its way as I peeled the waterlogged clothes from my cold body. I sighed as I sat on a chair in my nightshirt, bringing my knees to my chin. I was quite shocked with how my day had turned out. If it hadn't been for Jack…I shuddered at the thought of what could have happened to me. He was God-sent at the moment; he couldn't have been more welcome.

"Hey Pia, you ready?" Jack asked from behind the door. "Yeah, you can come in," I said as he opened the door and strode in.

**Any reviews? Good or bad are both welcome. I'd like to improve my story if some of you have an idea of how I can make it better.**


	9. Memories: Chapter 9

**I'd like to give a huge and enormous THANKS to ****callieandjack****, thanks a lot for the lovely reviews! I loved them!**

**Reply to ****callieandjack****:**

**I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapters! This is the chapter that explains why everything is so tense between Pia and Jack, I hope it clarifies any doubts. And yes, Pia fell for him, hard. Thanks for the reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own POTC. **

I looked at the floor, hugging my knees as Jack removed his hat, boots, coat and weapons. He lay down on his bed completely ignoring me. I looked up at him, "Why?" I asked silently. He looked at me, confused. And said "Why what?" "Why did you help back there in the alley?" he shrugged as he sat up and patted the empty space beside him. I walked over and sat beside him, drawing my knees up to my chest.

"I haven't been very pleasant lately," I said and then chuckled humourlessly "I've been a complete pain in the ass." He chuckled. "I couldn't let ye get raped just like tha' " he said. I smiled and mumbled a quiet 'Thanks.'

After a moment's silence I said "You know, I really thought you were an angel." He just smiled. "You were God-sent, really you were. I would've kissed you with happiness." At this he looked at me and smirked, "You know you could do it right now. I wouldn't mind," he said. At this I grinned my favourite crooked grin. "I think you've had your fair share of kissing for today."

He rolled his eyes, "We're pirates, aye? So there should be no words such as 'fair' in our vocabulary. First the money, now kissing. What would you be asking me to share next? The Pearl with the Navy?" he said, grumbling the last part to himself. He didn't notice that I was scowling.

When he mentioned the money we had won from Giselle, I remembered that mine were stolen. He looked at me with a questioning expression at my silence. "That bastard stole my money," I grumbled. Jack just shrugged his shoulders, "That's Tortuga for you, love" he replied.

As a reply, I sneezed. "Sorry 'bout that," I said. "I think I'm going to catch a cold," and as if to prove my point I sneezed for the second time. "You've caught a cold," Jack said. "You have a gift at stating the obvious," I replied sarcastically. He just rolled his eyes. "I'm going to sleep," I declared as I got up and lay down on my hammock.

"You're impossible," he murmured to himself. "Did you say something?" I asked. "No, I was talking to meself," he replied as he lay back down on the bed. I blew out the candle and tried to sleep unsuccessfully. "Jack?" I whispered in the darkness. "Mm?" He asked sleepily. "Sorry," I said. "For what?" he asked drowsily. "For ruining your evening. And thanks, for helping me back there." I couldn't see him, but I was sure that he smiled. I don't know how I concluded that, I just did.

You know when you get that feeling that something is happening, but you can't be sure and can't do anything about it? At the moment those types of emotions were running through me. I was certain that I was falling for him again. And I loved…and hated it at the same time. Maybe it's time that I fill you in about what happened.

He had been out at sea for many years, and I couldn't deny the fact that I missed him terribly. When we were kids we had always dreamed that we would become pirates together, and sail and terrorize the ports. We used to call each other "Captain Jackie" and "Captain Cherry". Such sweet memories.

He had sailed away after about a month after his mother's death, leaving me in Tortuga, breaking our promise. So I continued with my normal life. That is till my mother died a week later, when I was just twelve. We used to live in a rented house, so on the day of her funeral, the owner came and kicked me out, keeping most of my possessions for himself, not that I had much to begin with. But the few prized memories I had were taken from me.

I was left penniless and living on the streets. So after a week of stealing my daily needs I ran to the north part of Tortuga. Believe it or not, many rich people live there. It was like Port Royal, but with more tolerance to pirates. To make a long story short, I ended up at a rich man's house.

He treated me like a grand-daughter, and I gave him the love I would have given to my father had he been human enough to take care of me. This old man, Mr Rancher, thought me everything I knew; reading, writing, navigational skills, map-reading, general knowledge and some odds and ends about ships and pirates. It was as if he knew what Fate had in store for me. I was happy, but I longed for freedom.

Then one day he died, and once again I found myself living on the streets (his grown up children never really liked me). This time I was sixteen years old. I found work as a maid at another house. The owner was very cruel and I hated his guts. Actually, cruel would make him sound human. He used to beat me and call me names, but I wasn't the one who received the worst. I only stayed there because the income was good. In three months time I earned three hundred doubloons, imagine that. I worked at is house for nine years. You might ask, _'What did you do with the money?'_ I spent them in learning to fight with a sword and a pistol. When I was twenty five I managed to save 300 doubloons (I was quite the spendthrift back then). And then I met Jack again.

My childhood friend came back. You can imagine how euphoric I was. He had lost _the Black Pearl_ to Barbossa and, while talking over some rum (I wasn't used to it by then), he asked me to join him in his search for Barbossa and _the Pearl_. We agreed that I was to give him my money so we could use it accordingly, and the day after I handed him the money we were to set sail. A month later I was deeply and madly in love with him.

I quit my job and being the stupid and foolish girl that I was, I slept with him the night I gave him my money. The next day he was nowhere to be found. There's no need to say I was heart-broken.

I was once-again penniless, living on the streets with no job and no friends. I simply refused the option of becoming a prostitute. Pain transformed into anger, and I boarded the next pirate ship I found, intending to search for him and make him pay. My job was in the crow's nest and mending the sails when they got torn.

I was terribly sea-sick the first few days, but when time passed I became accustomed to the ship's gentle rocking and swinging on ropes. I learned how to deal with pirates without getting cheated. I became stronger, both emotionally and physically. But I never allowed another man to step near my heart, I was too afraid that I'd end up broken hearted again.

My anger at Jack subsided so I stopped seeking him and sailed just for the heck of it. And after two years I found him, convinced (if you can call it that) him to let me work on _the Pearl_.

And apparently fell for him again.

**This is the ninth chapter. More of filler, but really needed to explain some things. Hope you enjoyed it (and reviews are always welcomed).**


	10. Kidnapped: Chapter 10

**Tenth chapter, Double digits people! I'd like to give a BIG thanks to my reviewers ****Ethereality88**** and ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** ! Thanks! And another thanks to ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** for adding my story to their Favourite Story list! Thanks! **

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own POTC.**

"Pia! Wake up! We're gonna set sail!" someone yelled in my ear. I shrieked and jumped up from my hammock with fright, landing on the floor in a tangled mess. I didn't need anyone to tell me who was responsible for this.

"Sparrow, you'd better clear out before I get up," I hissed. He chuckled, "And what will ye do, smother me?" "That's a good idea, but not enough," I said trying to untangle myself from the blanket. "I wouldn't say no if you smothered me with kisses." "Jack, you'd better stop trying to be witty and come help me remove this _bloody blanket_!" I said, shouting the last part. He sniggered to himself as he crouched down, "And what will I get if I help you?" "A good kick in the ass! For this is entirely your fault!" I screamed.

The door burst open and Elizabeth rushed in. "I thought I heard…screaming," she said, trying to stifle a laugh. "Don't you dare laugh, or you're shark bait!" I threatened, still thrashing around. "You help her Elizabeth, while I go and check on the crew," Jack said quickly, before hurrying outside.

"I'm so going to kill him," I hissed. She sighed. "Stay still, while I untangle you." She said. Some time later I strode out, this time I decided I'd give him the silent treatment. Whenever he tried to talk I just ignored him; as if no one was there. Needless to say he was furious after trying to talk to me for four times, rather unsuccessfully might I add.

"Do ye know where we're going Miss Pia?" Gibbs asked. "I think we're going to Puerto Rico next. That will be in two days time. Why don't you ask Jack to be sure?" I said. "He's livid about something," he replied. "He is?" I said amused. He looked at me suspiciously, "This wouldn't happen to be by yer doing, is it?" he asked. I acted innocent and surprised, "My doing? Why I haven't spoken to him all morning!" I said. "How could it be my doing?" He sighed and shook his head in defeat. "I have no idea what upset him, then. I just hope it's nothing…bad, like last time," he said (referring to the time when the Kraken was after him no doubt) as he walked away. I grinned to myself. So my plan was working after all.

"You, in me cabin, now," an irritated voice said from behind me. I was deciding whether I was still going to ignore him or not when he walked in front of me. He just picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. _Alright, I'm gonna talk to him now._

"Hoy! Put me down! What the hell?! I'm not a potato sack!" "Oh, so yer talking to me now?" he asked as he slammed shut his cabin door. "Yes," I grunted as he threw me on his bed. "Why're you ignoring me?" he said, crossing his arms. I crossed my arms and legs. "Why did you wake me up the way you did?" I asked as a response. He looked at me incredulous. "So all this fuss is about a joke?" "Ha! Nice joke!" I said sarcastically as I got up. "Have you forgotten how I _hate_ being woken up that way, or that I'm _not_ a morning person?" I asked, scowling.

At that moment the door flew open. "Cap'n! We're under attack!" Gibbs said, fighting another pirate. "What the hell…" Jack muttered as he hurried out on deck, pulling out his sword. I could practically feel the wild glint coming in my eyes. The glint that came when I was about to start fighting. I ran outside and immediately found myself engaged in a battle against 2 pirates.

Jack's Point of View

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Jack Sparrow," a voice said from behind him. "That's Captain for you, mate," he replied, turning around. "So what's the reason for attacking me ship?" Jack asked, engaged in a sword with the other ship's captain.

"Ye have the key to the Mediterranean," he said, swishing his sword towards Jack's neck, only to find the path blocked. ""I have no keys on me ship," Jack replied frowning as he stabbed towards the other captain's chest. However this was blocked. "Don't act dumb with me Sparrow," he growled. "Say, what's yer name?" Jack asked blocking another attack. "Captain Ronda at yer service." He said smirking. "Ronda? That sounds more like a girl's name to me," Jack said scrunching his nose. Ronda growled, and attacked ferociously, instantly forcing Jack to stop any idea of negotiating and fighting back.

Just when Jack seemed to be gaining the upper hand, a crew member from _The Sea Gull_ (Ronda's ship) rushed over. "Cap'n! We've got the key!" he shouted as he knocked out Pintel, who was trying to hack him with a short sword, and boarded the gang-plank that was connecting the _Gull_ to the _Pearl_. And indeed the only remaining pirate from the _Gull_ was Ronda. "See ye around," he said and ran the way to the gang-plank. Just as Jack shoved it to the sea, Ronda grabbed the railings and was helped onboard.

Needless to say, Jack was furious. '_With whom?_' you might ask. Why with Pia of course! _She was the one who didn't tell him about the key, whatever it is_. If he knew, he might at least have been prepared for the attack. "How much damage was done?" he barked at Gibbs. "Not much, it seemed as they were searching for something…or someone," "Did they find what they were searching for?" he growled. Oh, she so was gonna regret it. "Aye," Gibbs replied as they looked at the _Pearl_'s crew helping the wounded. "And what is it?" Jack asked.

"Pia." Gibbs replied. "Man the helm, Master Gibbs. Make sure we keep the _Gull_ in our view, if it's possible we remain hidden. Oh and next time inform me a little earlier that we're under attack, savvy?" Jack said as he descended the stairs that led up to the helm. "Aye Cap'n," Gibbs replied.

"Alright men," Jack began. "Anyone who doesn't want to look like a sorry landlubber get up off your lazy asses and back to yer posts. _The Gull_'s taken something that is crucial for us," he finished. "The only thing they've taken is Pia, and good-riddance says I," Pintel said. "Exactly. They've taken Pia," Jack said.

"Just because you have feelings for her doesn't mean-" "My feelings have nothing to do with this! Now if anyone wants to live to see Calypso's Cave, we'd better hurry and get Pia. Because she is the key!" he said angrily, as he strode in his cabin to check out the compass and maps. He sighed as he sat down on a chair and gulped some rum from his half empty bottle.

'_It's because she's the key_,' he thought. However, as much as he tried to convince himself, that wasn't the only reason why he was eager to get to _the Gull_. As much as he hated to admit it, he was starting to have feelings for her.

**I hope you like it, and as I said before, reviews make me update earlier!**


	11. Aboard the Sea Gull: Chapter 11

**The 11 chapter for you. I'd like to give an extra huge and enormous thanks to ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** for bringing to my attention that the content of chapter 10 was the same as 9's. (Now I fixed the problem) Thanks! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own POTC.**

Pia's Point of View

I groaned as I came to. I had a splitting headache and if it wasn't enough, I was locked up in the brig. And it wasn't the _Pearl's_, no it was the _Gull's_. That's right I was a prisoner, go ahead and laugh.

"Damn, that bloody pirate for knocking me out with a rum bottle," I mumbled rubbing me head as I got up and observed the cell I was locked in. The usual cage-like cell, with half-pin barrel hinges. I grinned as I grabbed a wooden bench, shoved it between too bars and began using it as a leverage.

A couple of heartbeats later, and the door lifted free with a clunk. I chuckled to myself as I hurried outside. _Now, where would I put a dangerous prisoner's pistol and sword?_ I asked myself. The answer came to my head like a hit with an anvil. "The Captain's Cabin," I mumbled to myself as I hurried in towards the cabin. Luckily, my daggers were still with me.

I put my ear against the door's wood and listened. No sound, perfect. I took a dagger in my hand and opened the door, cringing as it creaked. I instantly slipped in the shadows to avoid detection; however a voice said "I expected you to come earlier." An oil lamp flickered to life and the captain's face came into view. "I just came around, since you, oh-so-fondly, ordered your crew to knock me out," I said coming into view.

He started walking towards me, "Stop right there!" I hissed as I put the dagger up to his neck. "We underestimated you I see," he said. I narrowed my eyes, "What are you playing at?" He put down the lamp on the desk, which was behind me. "Why nothing, my dear." He said spreading his arms, I looked at him suspiciously and he grabbed my wrist and twisted my arm behind my back. "Did you really think," he began hissing in my ear, "That I would let you kill me so easily?" "That would have made you even dumber than I thought," I replied as I swung my leg behind and hit him in the crotch.

He instantly let go of my arm and dropped to the floor, as predicted, holding his hurt pride. Smirking, I kneeled beside his head, putting the dagger to his neck. "That stunt you pulled earlier on me was not wise, not wise at all," I said. He gripped my hand and pried my fingers off the dagger's hilt. "How easy to turn from the hunter to the victim," he mocked me as he got up, pushing me backwards with my dagger. "You think so?" I asked taking another dagger, which was tied to my other arm, and pointing it to his chest.

He took out his pistol and pointed it to my head, "Drop it," he said. I gripped it harder and gave him another shove. "I said, drop it," he stated as he cocked his pistol, I swallowed and held the dagger. "You're a stubborn one, I see," he said thrusting his pistol's barrel into my forehead. I stumbled backwards, fell, and along with my fall, my dagger dropped from my hand. You can imagine how angry I was when I saw the triumphant glint in his eyes, and my two daggers in his hands.

Instinctively I dropped to my knee, and grabbed the last dagger I had; a boot dagger hidden (where else) in my boot and slashed towards him. Unfortunately, I only hit him in his arm. He growled and fired his pistol. A scream rose to my mouth, as I felt a sharp pain in my right upper arm. But I refused to give him the satisfaction. "I tried being nice, but you jus' wouldn' let me, whore," he said as he dropped the weapons in his hands and straddled me, seeing that I was still on the floor holding my wounded arm in shock.

I struggled and thrashed under him as he pinned my hands above my head. I hissed in pain as I felt the bullet in my arm move slightly. "It hurts, doesn't it?" he mocked, unbuttoning my shirt. "Get, the hell, off me!" I screamed. "Gotta check if you've got more hidden weapons dear," he said, tearing the rest of my shirt. _'This is so not happening again.'_ The thought ran through my mind at least a dozen times as I thrashed under him while he undid my clothes to his leisure. I'll leave my fury to your imagination.

However, my fury disappeared to be replaced with panic as soon as his hand ran over my stomach lightly. "So soft," he whispered to himself as he shoved his lips on mine. This time, I didn't bother to mask my scream, though it was muffled by his lips. It's incredible how my body became extra sensitive in those couple of seconds.

The course coat he was wearing scraped against my stomach, the rough wood scratched against my back and one of his rough calloused hands held my hands above my head, while the other caressed (rather roughly) my thigh. I struggled and writhed under him, trying to escape and only succeeding in lodging the bullet even further in my arm.

Just then the door flew open and someone rushed in. "Cap'n we've…oh, sorry. Didn' knew ye been busy," a pirate smirked. I looked up at him, scowling and was met with a familiar sight, which made me growl. This pirate was the one who had cornered me, and nearly raped me, back in Tortuga. "No matters. Make sure next time you knock. If it weren't for the lady, ye'd be severely sorry. What's the reason for barging in me cabin like its Judgment day?" Ronda asked (I recognized him after some time). "We've uh – found a very annoying pest…" he replied. "Right, I'll be checking it out soon," Ronda said nodding his head towards the door. The crew-man backed away, smirking all the way. "Ye jus' got lucky," Ronda whispered in my ear as he got up and went out, locking the door behind him.

As soon as his clunking footsteps went away, I ran to his wardrobe and flung the wardrobe-door open. What I really wanted was to put on my own clothes, but seeing as they were ripped up, I had to take some of Ronda's. There was no way in hell I was going to prance around in my underwear.

So I grabbed a simple white shirt, which fell half-way to my thighs and took out what looked like a black sash. The sash ended up wrapped around the bullet hole in my arm and the shirt hid my upper body down to the middle of my thighs. A black leather belt ended up around my waist/hips and I rolled the sleeves up to my elbows. I opened the next wardrobe door and an unbelievably nasty smell slithered out. I gagged and covered my mouth with my hand as I realized what it was used for; Ronda's shoes. "Ugh, why must most pirates be dirty?" I asked myself as I put on my boots. Thank God they were still intact; I would never ever have worn someone else's shoes.

Just then the door banged open again and a furious Ronda stormed in. He grabbed the front of my, no scratch that, his shirt that I was wearing and pulled me to my feet. "What the hell are ye playin' at?!" I stared at him dumbly, not understanding what he was saying. He let go of me, and slapped me so hard that I lost balance and fell to the floor. "What the fuck was that for?!" I said amazed, shocked and angry.

As strange as it seems I had never been slapped. Sure I'd been involved in so many fights that I had lost count a long time. And in some of them I had received a fair bit of damage. But a slap? No, that was humiliating.

"What the hell is Sparrow doing on me ship?!" he shouted, bringing me out of my reverie. "What?" I asked. "Don't act innocent with me, bitch!" he snarled as he kicked me in the stomach. "What the fuck are you on about?" I hissed between my teeth as I got up. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to calm down no doubt. '_Since he's not trying to kill me, this means that I'm valuable,_' I thought.

"I asked ye a simple question. What is Jack Sparrow doing on me ship?" "Does it look like I know?" I replied, in truth I had an idea why. But I'd be damned if I shared my suspicions with Ronda. This continued to confirm that I was valuable for something…the reason of which was still unknown to me.

**Alright, I hope you like it. You know the usual the drill, more reviews faster updates. : )**


	12. Escaping the Sea Gull: Chapter 12

**Chappie 12, Hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.**

I waited till Ronda was snoring quietly before I slipped from under the blanket. I know what you're thinking and no nothing happened, even though he forced me to sleep on the bed, with him.

The ship was anchored in the middle of the sea and the moonlight was so light and clear that I didn't need any lamp or candle with me as I slipped in the brig.

"Psst," I whispered as I came to Jack's cell. His eyes opened slowly as he looked for the source of noise that had woke him up. His eyes fell on me as he slowly got up. I leaned on the bars as he scowled. "You know you're in trouble," he said. "With whom?" I said raising one eyebrow. "With me," he replied. I was about to ask why, but decided against it. "So what's the plan?" I asked. "I get myself marooned," he replied. "You, on the other hand, have quite a bit of a hard time to get free." However I just smiled. "You forgot one thing," I said deciding to copy him. "And what's that?" he asked.

"I'm Captain Cherry, savvy?" I said, trying to copy his voice. He rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide a small smile. "Maybe you won't have to encourage them to maroon you. I heard Ronda talking of marooning you," I said. "But I have to go. Now. I don't want to get beaten tonight. And to get him to trust me, I have to stop fighting back," I said. He nodded and I made my way back to Ronda's cabin, where I found Ronda casually leaning against the head board.

'_Uh oh._' Was the first thought that crossed my mind; I wasn't afraid; I was just peeved that I had to let myself get beaten. So I pretended to be slightly afraid and sat meekly at the end of his bed. "Couldn' sleep?" he asked. I shook my head as I hugged my knees and looked at the wooden floor. I saw him looking at me strangely from the corner of my eye.

"Are you afraid?" he asked. I shrugged and ground my teeth. "You know, I always thought that you were more…well more," he said as he rubbed his chin in confusion. I shrugged again and kept looking at the floor, I didn't trust myself to look at him. "You shouldn't always trust what you hear. And looks can be deceiving," I said. "Exactly, which means that you're up to something," he said. '_Damn!_' he was probably thinking about the dagger fight or whatever it was. I shrugged again and said "I wish." He sighed and frowned, obviously he couldn't figure me out.

"What were you doing out there?" he asked. "Wanted some air," I replied. He shook his head in confusion and patted the space next to him. Reluctantly I crawled next to him and sulked. "Why are you pouting?" he said as he reclined back.

"Jack had given me a hammock to myself. He didn't force me to sleep next to him," I said. Ronda rolled his eyes and said "But I ain't Jack," and closed his eyes. "But-" I began. "No buts!" he said angrily. I huffed as I lay down and gave him my back, pretending to go to sleep.

What I intended to was to let him sleep for some time and then start rolling around therefore forcing him to set up a hammock for me. But, as stupid and foolish as it sounds, I fell asleep and didn't wake up till the next morning.

You remember that Ronda had shot me in my arm, and that I hadn't managed to get rid of the bullet. So you can imagine the pain I was in when I woke up. My arm was swollen and inflamed and I could hardly move my right arm (the one which was shot). Fortunately, Ronda had already woken up, so I was left alone in the cabin.

When I had been eavesdropping, the previous day I had heard that Jack was going to be marooned the next day, the present one. So I searched around Ronda's cabin till I found my 3 daggers, my white pistol and my sword. Honestly, I was quite surprised that he had made it so easy. So I put on my boots, secured the belt around my waist with my left hand, put my boot dagger back in my boot, tied the most expensive dagger to my abdomen and the remaining one to my right inner arm and kept the sword and pistol in my hands.

"Just in time," I whispered to myself as I heard a lot of jeering and booing from _the Gull's_ crew. This showed that Jack was walking down the plank. So I opened the door slowly and miraculously, it didn't creak this time.

The 'ceremony' was taking place right in front of the Captain's cabin, so I crept silently to the other side of the ship and stood on the railings. I dived into the sea when I heard a splash (which meant that Jack had jumped from the plank). My arm throbbed in pained protest as I started to swim towards the island.

Before I could reach the island, a couple of pirates had reached the side from where I had dived into the sea and started shooting at me just as I resurfaced. Obviously I was _supposed_ to either remain in Ronda's clutches or end up dead. So I did the only thing that made sense; I took a deep breath and went under water. However, just as I started to swim, I felt a sharp pain in my left leg. A gasp caused me to loose the air I had in my mouth, but I didn't dare resurface again, in fear of being shot again. So I dived deeper and swam as fast as my injured leg and arm would allow me.

Jack's Point of View

Jack sighed as he swam towards the island. Pia hadn't managed to get herself marooned after all. He stopped swimming as his feet touched the sand and waded slowly to the beach, dragging himself out of the water. He removed his coat and weapons and left them on a large rock to dry in the sun, and turned to look at _The Sea Gull_.

An odd thing was going on. Half the crew were looking over to the other side of the ship and shooting at the water. "Waste of shots, really," he muttered to himself. But as he looked closer, he thought he saw a trail of blood and its source appeared to be swimming towards the island. He recognized the person that was bleeding as she swam closer. That's right, a '_she_', the '_she_' was Pia.

"Oh, Bugger," he cursed as he saw the amount of blood she was loosing, not to mention that those waters were infested with sharks. He wasn't sure of what he should do; wait for her on the beach, or risk it and go help her. He didn't need his compass to point to where he wanted to go. So he quickly removed his boots and waded out in the shallow waters as fast as he could.

Pia had resurfaced and was spluttering and gasping for air, while her blood was pooling around her. "Are you mad?!" he shouted at her as he grabbed her right arm and started dragging her to the island. "Jack, let go!" she hissed as she closed her eyes and tried to claw at his hand. He just gripped her tighter and fastened his pace. A scream escaped her lips, showing the pain she was in, but Jack took no notice of it. His mind was set on getting out of the sea to the safety of the land, where there were no sharks.

As soon as they emerged from the water, Pia pushed Jack away from her. He, being caught unawares, nearly fell but regained his balance. "Fuck you," Pia muttered as she threw the pistol and sword on the sand, along with the belt and wet shirt.

Jack ogled at her; this was so out of character for her. She never, never took her clothes off in front of other men, no matter who he was. Not willingly at least. She had removed the dagger which she had tied around her abdomen and was untying the black material which was around her upper right arm. "Oh God," he whispered as he hurried towards her.

"When did this happen? And who?" he asked as he sat behind her (so she was sitting between his legs and 'resting' against him). He took hold of her arm and touched gently around the infected bullet wound. "Shit," Pia moaned. "Don't do it again, please," she begged, gritting her teeth. "I'm sorry Pia, but I have to. The bullet has to come out, or else you may loose your arm. Oh, and we have to remove the bullet from your leg too." Jack said.

"First remove this one then," she said as she stuck out her arm. "You might want to bite on this belt. Here," he said as he handed her the belt she was wearing seconds before. He took out a pocket-knife and started probing around slowly in the wound, trying to find the bullet.


	13. Trapped in human flesh: Chapter 13

**I'd like to give a huge thanks to ****SoftlySpokenHeart ****for the lovely review, thanks a lot! I really appreciate!**

**I'd like more reviews though, please even just 2 or 3 words such as 'I like this story', or 'I really hate it'. I would really appreciate it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC, though if I did I'd let you share.**

Pia's Point of View

God, the pain in my arm was incredible. I never believed that this amount of pain was possible. Think about it, throughout the whole process all I did was bite the belt and try to stop my screams. Imagine that, I didn't pass out, and believe me the pain was unbelievable. And then there was the bullet in my leg. Obviously it wasn't as painful as my arm, but it wasn't pleasant either. I was lucky that neither bullet touched the bone. Otherwise I think I would've passed out from the pain.

Jack was staring out at the sun setting on the sea. He seemed calm and tranquil. I was quite astonished that he had managed to spend all this time without rum and he managed to keep himself '_normal_' in a manner of speaking.

"Why didn't you tell me about the key?" he asked suddenly ending my train of thought. "What key?" I asked confused. He looked at me scowling, 'there goes the peaceful mood' I thought. "Don't play innocent with me Pia. It doesn't work on me. The key to Calypso's Cave, why didn't you tell me about it?" he asked annoyed. "You and Ronda keep talking about this bloody key and I don't know anything about this damned object!" I said getting angry myself.

He turned to look at me with a mocking (and angry) expression on his face. "Really? You wanna know why Ronda attacked me ship? Do you? He said that he wanted the key to the Mediterranean and just as I was this close to winning," he said holding his thumb and index-finger nearly touching, "he escaped. And you know what I found missing huh? You," he finished. For a moment I was stunned. And then I burst out laughing, I laughed so hard that tears were rolling down my cheeks.

"What?" he asked angrily. "You know, for a moment I thought *giggle* this is ridiculous, I thought that you meant that '_I_' was the key," and I burst out laughing again. "Yeah, technically that's what I'm saying," he said looking at me as if I'd gone mad. "Do I look as if I'm made of metal to you?" I asked laughing quietly. "Not all 'keys' are made of metal, love," he said.

"So let's pretend that I am the key, for the sake of the argument, do I have to be alive to be of '_well service_' in a manner of speaking?" I asked. "Aye, since Ronda didn't kill you," Jack replied. So that was why he didn't want to kill me. I sighed and shook my head. "But why '_me_'? I mean, I'm no one special. My mother was a whore and my father was a pirate who never cared about me or my mum. I'm not a great scholar, I don't have a high income and I'm just a filthy pirate. No more, no less," I said.

Jack just shrugged and picked up one of my daggers; the expensive one. "Ivory handle with gold fittings, gold twisted wire and engraved blade. What a beauty," he sighed. "Beautiful but dangerous. Where did you get it?" he asked twirling it from the blade in his hands. "Watch it! It's very sharp. My mother gave it to me. She said that when she told my father that she was pregnant, he gave her the dagger to give it to me before he disappeared." I replied. He placed the dagger on the sand beside me and picked the other less expensive one as I strapped the ivory handled dagger to my right arm (seeing as it was painful, if got into a fight I would have had to fight with my left hand).

"Alaskan gold fittings and a single golden band. You're quite a classy fighter, aren't you?" he said chuckling as he handed it to me and I strapped it on my right arm as well. "What's its story?" he asked. "This one's story is quite boring," I replied. "Nicked it from an East India Trading Company guy," I said as he sniggered. I was about to tell him about my boot-dagger (the plainest) when I heard a twig snap behind us.

Someone had been approaching behind us while we had been foolishly talking about my daggers. We were both stiff by then, trying to listen to more sounds. "Pia, was it me or-" he began whispering but just as I turned to look at him, a hard object made contact with the side of my head and I blacked out.

*Two-three hours later*

I regained consciousness to find a splitting head-ache. Not only that but my hands were tied behind me and my legs were tied together and it seemed that I was sitting on some kind of throne made of bones and a small fire was burning in front of us, casting everything in an orange light. A closer look at the throne revealed the bones to be human bones.

A yelp of disgust escaped my lips as I tried to jump up and away from the 'throne'; however I forgot that I was still tied. So obviously what happened was that I ended up falling on my side. I grunted as I writhed around on the ground.

"Pia?" Jack's voice asked groggily. Clearly he had been sleeping. "Jack, this better not be one of your plans or I'm gonna kill ye when I get rid of those bloody ropes!" I threatened. However I had stopped struggling (because it caused too much pain in my still infected wound) and lay panting on the ground. "Save yer energy for the morn', love. We're going to be roasted and eaten at around midday," he said calmly.

"WHAT?!" I screamed. "We're on Pelegosto Island and apparently they believe that I'm their god trapped in human flesh and that you're my wife, and a goddess, trapped in human flesh as well," he said. "Go on," I prompted. "So they intend to kill and eat us to '_free_' us." He said. "Tell them that we're not gods, and they'll let us go free," I said as I tried to work out the knot tying my hands.

He laughed and said "Sure, I'll tell them that. Then we end up getting eaten sooner. Trust me Pia, I've been here before and I escaped. We only remain chiefs as long as we _act_ like gods." In the meantime, I had managed to loosen one knot thus enabling myself to untie my hands.

I sat up and after shaking my head twice (and intensifying my head-ache for a minute) I started to untie my feet. As soon as Jack saw this, he sat up and said "Hey, don't forget me, I came for you on _the Gull_." "Don't worry, I won't," I replied as I rushed to him and undid the ropes on his hands. I checked that I still had my weapons with me as Jack undid the ropes tying his feet.

"Weapons ready?" I asked as I took out my sword. He mirrored my movements by taking out his sword. There was no one keeping watch on us. This was because it was at night and we were going to sleep and find it incapable to escape, or so they thought. We slipped into the shadows. "How are we going to get on _the Pearl_?" I whispered. "Gibbs and Elizabeth," was all he said. Just then my leg decided to show me how painful it was. "Bloody hell," I groaned. "What?" Jack asked as we crept around the tent-like things that the Pelegostos lived in.

Apparently we were going to do the impossible; we were going to run all the way to where Tia Dalma's, aka Calypso's, hut (or shack) had been, and all this was going to take place in the dark and in the time span of an hour or two. Now normally, meaning if I was uninjured, this would take me about an hour? Something like that, anyway.

But we were going to do this impossible feat in total darkness. And the fact that I was limping, my right arm hurt like hell with even the slightest of vibration and I had been whacked in the head with a club didn't help at all. If you haven't noticed, I'm blinder than a bat when I'm in complete darkness, and that was where we were heading to. Oh, I forgot to mention the fact that we were using this jungle as a cover.

"Jack, do you think it's wise to…well you know," I said as we stopped to catch our breath at the edge of the jungle. "To what?" he wheezed. "Well, you know I'm blinder than a bat in total darkness. And this place will be the cause of my death if you try to hurry me and my poor limping leg," I said. He sighed as we got up (more like limped up in my case).

After a couple of milliseconds he said "Aha, got it. How about I lead the way?" he said. "Oh well done genius," I said sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and said "What I meant is how about you hold on me while I lead the way and you just follow?" I shrugged and said, "Holding my hand won't make much of a difference." "Wasn't intendin' on holding yer hand, love" he said as he snaked his arm around my waist and brought me closer to his body.

I sighed in defeat as I put my left arm around his waist and with my right hand I put my sword back in its scabbard. He put his sword back and started walking. Needless to say I nearly tripped so my hold on him tightened. I didn't need any light to realize that he was smirking.

I opened my mouth to threaten and accuse him but closed it again as I realized that it wasn't his fault that I got hurt and that I was at his mercy. "Wanna say somethin' love?" he smirked as we strode (in my case limped or wobbled) deeper into the jungle. "I uhh, wanted to say thanks, for helping me," I replied, which was half true. "Sure you did," he chuckled. This was going to be one long walk.

**Alright peeps, hope you liked this chapter, nothing much happened. Oh, before I forget, I have the pictures of how I imagined Pia's daggers, if you want to see them here they are:**

**Ivory dagger: **_(This one's really lovely; you should go check it out)_

**.com/albums/gg120/Belekina/?action=view¤t;=thumb_dagger_ **

**Other dagger:**

**.com/albums/gg120/Belekina/?action=view¤t;=thumb_dagger_ **

**Boot dagger:**

**.com/albums/gg120/Belekina/?action=view¤t;=thumb_dagger_ **


	14. Another chance: Chapter 14

**Alright peeps chapter 14. I hope you like it. Oh, and I'd like to give my thanks to ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** the lovely review, thanks a lot! I really appreciate.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.**

Unbelievably enough, we managed to reach the shack where Tia Dalma used to live in 2 hours and a half. Then we followed the Pantano River till it ended near the sea. There we found a little rocky beach, where we sat waiting for _the Pearl_.

It was still night-time so the sea looked as if it was ink with a splash of milk for the moon's reflection. Jack managed to find a small patch of sand and, after hauling a couple of large rocks with a flat side so we could use them as a means to 'recline' on, we sat down.

"Thanks, for helping me," I said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "No worries, love," he replied. Silence fell on us, till he decided to break it with a question. "What did you do after I left with your money from Tortuga?" he asked. '_Nice question_,' I thought.

I shrugged. "Boarded a pirate ship and got marooned after a month and then I boarded another ship. I only left a year ago when the Captain was killed. And then I stayed at Tortuga doing odd jobs. You know; mending sails, helping sailors load the cargo on board, helping Jonah in the tavern and other stuff," I said. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "I was never a wench," I said quickly. He let out a breath (which I wasn't aware that he was holding) and nodded.

"You know, I really am sorry for leaving you like that in Tortuga," he said. I chuckled darkly and murmured "Of course you are." "No, I really am sorry. I had to leave," he defended. "Why, of course," I began icily. "So you waited till you got me in bed, took what you wanted and then left," I said. He looked with an expression that I had never seen on his face. "At least you have the decency to pretend and look ashamed," I said lowly.

"Look, I'm just trying to apologise. Why do you have to make it so bloody difficult?" he said frustrated. "And why should I make it easy for you? You used me, then threw me away the first chance you got, the next morning. You know I really trusted you, Jack," I said. "You do?" "Not anymore. I'm afraid I don't trust you much now, Jack," I whispered. "Do you want to know the reason why I left without waiting for you?" he asked. I just shrugged as I studied the soft waves rolling on the pebbles. To tell the truth, I was dying to know why, but I wasn't about to show him my curiosity.

"Way before our relationship in Tortuga, I made a deal with Davy Jones. He raised the Black Pearl for me from the depths of the sea and after 13 years of being her Captain, I was supposed to join his crew on _the Flying Dutchman_," he said. I nodded my head; I already knew this piece of information. "Now, Barbossa was me first mate after Bootstrap, who you could say was a father figure for me in me first 2 years of captaincy _the Pearl_. When Barbossa came, he led a mutiny against me and I spent 11 years going here and there. It was the last year and I had to redeem back me _Pearl_ before I had to face Davy Jones. You remember we were together for a month, January, aye?" he said and I nodded.

"I had to leave, you know," he said, looking out at the sea. "I had some enemies after me and I couldn't risk getting closer to ye. 'S a matter of fact, I was already too close for comfort. That year I got back me _Pearl_ and got sent to Davy Jones' Locker with her, courtesy of Elizabeth. Thanks to her I escaped the locker and tried, unsuccessfully, to end the East India Trading Company. Then I spent me time trying to find you but you found me," he said ending his story. I looked at him trying to find a clue that he was lying. However, I found none. "I could have defended myself, you know," I said. "Trust me love, you wouldn't have wanted to face Davy Jones. You have no idea of what he's capable of," he said.

I smiled a tight smile and said, "As a matter of fact, Jack, I do know what he's capable of." He looked at me with a confused expression. I sighed and said "The first ship I boarded, _the Crimson Queen_, was captained by Captain Callefitte. He marooned me after a month when he realized that I was no slut. I wanted revenge on you so badly that I boarded the first ship I found, which was _the Crimson Queen_. After I marooned, I was found by Davy Jones. He offered me revenge on you if I served for 100 years on the _Dutchman_. I accepted and regretted it later on. But after ten months, Will killed Jones and set me free. Of course, by then I had cooled down."

I didn't dare to tell him that I had been torn when I heard that he had been sent to the Locker. "You mean you were a part of Jones' crew?" he asked. "Aye," I replied. "And you fought against us at the battle of Shipwreck Cove?" "No. He always kept me locked up in the brig during battles or fights. If you strain your memory hard enough, you'll remember that when you were in the _Dutchman's_ brig, another barnacled person was locked up in front of you as well. That person was me," I said. "How did you escape?" he asked. "How did _'you'_ escape? You gave me the idea."

"And thank God that you did," he murmured, thinking that I did not hear him. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, inquiring an explanation in silence. He looked at me with an expression that clearly said _'Oh shit'_, and sighed. "What I mean is – I – well," he stuttered before sighing again. I looked at him waiting for an explanation and at that moment I noticed how close to each other we were sitting. I looked away and swallowed, "Go on," I prompted. "Will you give me another chance?" he whispered.

I don't know what I was thinking but I know for sure that I stood up, or tried to. As soon as I put pressure on my injured leg, I wobbled and nearly fell over. In a flash, Jack was in front of me, steadying me. However, I grimaced as his hand closed over the wound in my arm. "Sorry," he mumbled and moved his hand to my shoulder. "Please Pia, all I want is just one more chance." "I'm afraid to Jack," I whispered looking down. "Don't be, I won't hurt you," he said as he put a finger under my chin and lifted my face towards his. "I know you won't hurt me physically, but emotionally…I'm not so sure."

I began. However I broke off when his lips brushed mine gently. To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. He removed his lips from mine and brushed away a lock of my hair. "I'm not saying that I'm perfect, because I know I'm not," he said. "But please Pia, I'm _begging_ you." I stared at him with my mouth hanging wide open. This was _not_ his normal behaviour.

I sniffed twice trying to detect a smell of rum or alcohol or a hint that he was drunk, but I found none. He was perfectly sober. "Did you hit your head?" I asked. He looked at me strangely and said "No, why?" "You're not being the usual Captain Jack Sparrow that I know," I replied. A small smile crept on his face. "That's because at the moment I'm just Jack." I smiled for a second and looked away.

"Pia, look at me," he said softly. My eyes rested on his chocolate brown ones and I melted inside. "You haven't answered my question, darlin'. Will you give me another chance?" I looked at his hopeful brown eyes, contemplating my answer. But deep down I knew what my answer was going to be like. I couldn't deny it, and as stupid and foolish as it sounded, I wanted him. I didn't trust myself to speak. Because I knew that if I opened my mouth I would either remain silent or produce some incoherent sound, and _that_ would have been very embarrassing. So I contented myself with just nodding my head.

A smile broke out on his face and his lips found mine once again. This time I did not hesitate, but kissed him back. His tongue glided along my bottom lip and I gasped as his right arm wrapped around my waist and his left hand rubbed my back gently. His tongue brushed against mine and he smirked as he felt my shock. '_You cheated,_' I wanted to say. However, I already knew how he would reply, '_Pirate._' I was surprised to find that one of my hands was wrapped around him and the other was on the back of his head. We fought for dominance, but we had to quit the '_battle_' as we stopped for air.

I laid my head on his chest as his embrace around me tightened. "I'm not going to let go of you that easily this time, love," he whispered as he kissed the top of my head. I smiled and thought '_I hope you're not. Because I'm not strong enough for emotional pain._' "Come on. Let's sit down," he said as he helped me to sit on the patch of sand. He sat beside me and his hand snaked around my waist, bringing me closer to him.

He kissed the top of my shoulder and moved to my neck, planting kisses along the way. He pulled me on his lap and continued kissing my neck as his arms encircled my abdomen. To say that I wasn't enjoying the attention would be a lie but I wasn't ready for '_it_' yet. You might ask '_But he hasn't done anything yet._' Trust me, I knew what was going through his mind. "Jack, stop," I said. He groaned and said "Why? You know you're enjoying it." "I'm not ready for it yet," I replied as he pouted. _'Great, now I'll have to deal with a sulking Jack.'_

**Sorry for all the fluff, I really hope you like it. So Pia and Jack are together, but for how long?**

**Remember more reviews=faster updates.**


	15. Childhood Memories: Chapter 15

**Fifteenth chapter, hope you like it. My thanks for the reviews go to ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** and ****Salisha****. Thanks for the fantastic reviews!**

**Reply to unsigned reviewers:**

**Salisha:**

**Thanks a lot, I'm really glad you like my story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.**

I rolled my eyes at him. "You know that that doesn't work on me," I told him. "You're no fun," he whined. "You're acting like a child, Jack," I said. He chuckled and silence reigned on us.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked breaking the silence. "I'm remembering the time when we were kids. Do you remember when I made you wear a pink dress?" I asked grinning. He grimaced at the memory. "Couldn't forget tha' even if I wanted to. Do you remember when you used to sleep over at me mum's house?" he asked. "Aye. Every night, my mother would go to work and I would sleep at your house. We used to drive your mother up the wall." I chuckled.

"Yeah," he laughed. "Except when me dad came home. You were terrified of him, remember?" "That I was. But he gave me the idea of calling you Jackie, remember?" I said grinning. "Aye. And I remember the tantrum you threw when I called you '_Pie_' instead of Pia. So I called you 'Cherry', your favourite type of pie instead," he replied.

I giggled as I remembered my younger self throwing shoes at a young Jack when he called me Pie. "That was so funny. Your mother laughed herself to death when my boot collided with your head." "It wasn't funny," he said. "You should have seen the look on your face. It was hilarious!" I said. He just huffed in response.

"Aw, come on now. You're not going to get upset are you?" I said. He pouted as if to prove his point. I smiled a slow crooked grin and said, "If you pout, I won't kiss you anymore." He gasped in mock surprise and apprehension and said "Why?" I grinned and replied "Pirate," stealing his trademark answer to most questions as he chuckled. I laid my head back on his shoulder and huffed.

"What's wrong, love?" he said. "This is boring," I said. Feeling that he was hurt I said quickly "Not because of you. But because we don't have anything to do." "Oh," was his reply. My stomach growled. "And I'm hungry and frankly we don't have anything to eat," I continued. He sighed and said, "Pia, you're making this harder than necessary. All we have to do is wait." "Exactly! I don't feel like waiting!" I exclaimed as I threw my hands in the air to express my point.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately, I still don't know which one) I hit Jack in the nose, by mistake of course. "That bloody hurts," he howled. "Oops," I muttered as removed his hand from his nose. However, there was no blood and I couldn't see the point of his howling. Though his nose was a bit red…oh alright, it was as red as a tomato. So I kissed his nose and said, "There, no harm done." And after a moment I whispered "Now that was entertaining." He just grunted in reply, showing his bad mood.

"You need rum," I said, stating the obvious. "Love, I'm always in need of rum," he said. This time was my turn to toll my eyes. "Jack?" I asked after a moment's silence. "Mmm?" "How did you become a pirate? When you first left, I remember you wanted to become a merchant or something," even though when we were kids we dreamed of becoming pirates, we never really wanted to be one. He sighed before he began his story.

"When I was fifteen," he started, "I sailed away with my father, after my mother's death. I worked for Beckett for maybe three months, six at the most. My job was to deliver cargo. I dunno why, but he became jealous of me. So, one fine day he decided to see how human I was. You know what he ordered me to transport?" he asked. I shook my head. "Slaves," he said with a bitter smile.

"He knew that I was against slavery, so he sent me to get 'em to him. I set 'em free and when I returned to Beckett to give him a piece of my mind, he ordered my arrest, declaring that I stole his cargo. He branded me with this 'P'," he said as he showed me the pearly white 'P' on his forearm. "Claimed me a pirate he did and burned down me ship,_ The Wicked Wench_. I couldn't do anything else, you know, what with the brand and all. So I turned to piracy," he concluded.

"Funny old world we're livin' in. The Great Cutler Beckett," he mocked, "The man who wants to eliminate piracy from the Caribbean, forced an innocent man to become a pirate." "And a bloody good one at that," he said as an afterthought. Then he turned to me and said with a grin "What's your story sailor?"

"When Mr. Clay, the man who I was living with and treated me like a grandchild he did, died I had to find a job. Couldn't go to living in the streets again. So, I found meself a nice job with a neat income as a maid. What nobody told me was that the bloody man was a violent one. I remember the first night there, he beat me to a bloody pulp. Couldn't recognize meself in the mirror the next morn'," "Why did he do tha'?" Jack interrupted. I smiled darkly and said "'Cause I wouldn't let him bed me. I may have been 16, still foolish and stupid, but I wasn't that dumb."

"Then why did you stay for so long?" he asked. "Because he paid me a lot of money, to keep me mouth shut about his secrets," I replied. "And what were said secrets?" he asked as his interest level started to increase. "His sick pleasures," I spat as the memory flashed crystal clear in front of my eyes.

"Do you know with whom he used to satisfy his urges?" I asked. "Whores?" Jack asked. I shook my head. "Men?" "Neither." "Then who?" "Kids," I replied. At that word, he fell speechless and after a full minute of silence he stuttered "D-did you mean, '_kids_'? As in children?" I nodded my head.

"It still amazes me why I never tried to shoot a bullet through his heart. I should be ashamed of myself," I said bitterly as I got off his lap and sat beside him with his arm still draped around my waist. "Don't be ridiculous, you were only 16," he said sharply. "Well I worked for him till I was 25," I argued. "That was when I started to get cold feet. And when he threatened me, I quit like the coward that I am," I spat furious at myself. "Then he started spreading rumours about me. So I couldn't find another job with some rich bloke. My temper was too hot for a barmaid and there was no way I was letting myself become a wench. So I turned to the only option left where rumours increased your rank; piracy. It was perfect at the time, 'cause I was seeking revenge," I finished as I laid my head on Jack's shoulder.

A soft splashing sound made its way to my ears as I started looking around. "What is it?" Jack asked. "Shh!" I stood up and hobbled to the water's edge as I took out my pistol, just in case. At that moment, I noticed a longboat with 3 people in it. One of them was holding an oil-lantern at the prow and the other 2 were rowing towards the beach where we were waiting.

"Jack! Get up! Hurry!" I urged as he rushed towards me. "What?" he said flustered putting his hat on his head. "It's the _Pearl_!" I said as I took his hand, tugging on it as I hurried in the water. "The crew! They came for us!" I said as I pointed to the boat.

"Hoy!" I shouted, waving my hand. "Quiet!" Jack hissed, "Do you want the Pelegostos on us?" he looked out to the boat and waved. "Mr. Gibbs! Hurry, we're in dire need of a quick departure from this island," he whispered loudly as he swept his hand towards the rocky beach.

"You get here; the water is too shallow to continue rowing if we're to make a quick departure, Cap'n," Gibbs replied. Jack turned to me and before you could say 'What?' I was thrown over his shoulder and he was running towards the boat, splashing my face with salty water.

"I could've walked, you know," I said once we were seated and Pintel and Ragetti rowing to the _Pearl_. "With that leg of yours? I don't think so, love," he replied. As if to prove his point, my leg twinged as he mentioned the wound.

The boat bumped gently against the Pearl's hull and a rope ladder was thrown down. "Come on, up you go," Jack said as he prodded my shoulder. "You go first; it's going to take me a long time to climb this with one arm and one leg. And no, you won't help me," I replied. He sighed and started to climb the rope-ladder, followed by Gibbs, Pintel and Ragetti.

I won't describe how I climbed the ladder or how it felt, except that it was very slow and painful. So you can imagine the relief I felt as soon as my feet made contact with _the Pearl's_ wooden deck.

"Miss Pia, am I correct in assuming that you have been hurt?" a voice asked behind me. "Err–no, Mr. Remington, you're not correct. In fact, you're very wrong!" I said as I started towards Jack's cabin. I know, not the wisest choice; declining the ship-doctor's help, but I'm scared stiff of needles, and I knew that he would have to sew me up.

"Then why are you limping?" he asked again. "I uh, I twisted my ankle. Yep, that's right. Just a sprain. Nothing to fret about. I'll wake up tomorrow as good as new," I said. Just then, I bumped into someone's hard chest and, to prevent from falling on my ass, I grabbed a handful of his shirt. He turned out to be Jack. "Mr. Remington, wait for us in the Cabin, if you please. We'll be joining you soon," Jack said sternly. "Yes Sir," Remington replied as he walked casually to Jack's cabin, dragging his medical kit on his shoulder with him.

"What? I'm not hurt," I said with a very unconvincing smile. Jack fixed me with a stern glare. "Pia, we either do this the easy way or the hard way," he said as he took a step towards me. I took a step backwards and, out of the corner of my eye, noticed the crew slowing down their work. "I don't know what you mean," I replied as I took another step backwards. "Pia, in the cabin, now." "I'm not tired, so if you'll excuse me, I'll be in the crow's nest," I replied as I turned and tried to hurry to the mainmast.

Just then, I noticed that the crew had ceased their work. "What are you all staring at? Go on; back to work the lot of you!" I said as they scrambled on with their abandoned work. "Pia, as Captain of this ship, I am ordering you to go back to me cabin and let Remington tend to your wounds." Jack whispered in my ear.

I bit my lip and turned to look at him. "Do I have to?" I whispered unsteadily. I told you I'm terrified of needles. His stern gaze softened as he put his hand on my cheek. "Yes," he replied. "Come with me, please," I said. "Oh alright," he sighed as he helped me limp towards the cabin.

I gulped as Jack opened the cabin's door. '_Here it goes,_' I thought to myself as I limped in.

**You know the drill: more reviews=faster updates. : )**


	16. Tending the wounds: Chapter 16

**Alrighty, the 16. I really hope you like this one, because I had a bad case of writer's block and couldn't find the right way to write it. Next chapter will be much better. I know this one's more a sort of a filler…**

**Before I forget, I would like to thank ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** for the splendid review. Thanks a lot! And thanks again!**

**Dislaimer: I don't own POTC.**

Jack had to drag me in the cabin as I trudged and dragged my feet slowly. The first thing I saw was Jack's desk cleared of all the parchments, quills, ink bottles and maps. Remington's bullet extractor, lancet, tourniquet, pair of scissors, a needle and other equipment were on the desk. On Jack's arm-chair, Remington had put his small Medicine Cabinet. The cabinet was open and one could see many ointments and powders. Remington himself was sterilizing the bullet extractor, scissors and needle with rum.

I gulped and turned round in search for the door. But Jack looked as if he read my mind for as soon as I moved, he hurried to the door, locked it and put the key in his pocket. "You're not getting out of this, love," he said as he crossed his arms on his chest. My mouth was as dry as parchment, my heart was thudding a million miles per second and I'm sure that my eyes were as wide as a cow's. I told you, needles, surgery and such things are my one of my worst fears.

Remington was done preparing his equipment and was looking at me as if to say, '_We can begin_.' I opened my mouth to speak but no sound came out. Something registered in the back of my mind that I looked like a fish, but I ignored it. I licked my lips, opened my mouth again and croaked "I'm thirsty." Jack strode over to the cabinet where he kept his numerous maps and took out a dusty bottle of rum and handed it to me. "I want water not rum," I said. He raised an eyebrow and said sternly "If you're thirsty you'll drink this. Ye can have all the water ye want after Remington is done." So I tried another technique.

I took the bottle and sat on the bed, drinking slowly as if every mouthful was a different taste. "Pia, enough loitering. Mr. Remington, you may proceed," Jack said as he took the bottle out of my hands. "Did you take out the bullets?" Remington asked. I nodded. "That's good, but I still have to check for bullet fragments. Would I be correct in assuming that the bones were left untouched?" I nodded again. "Very well then," he said as he picked up a pair of tweezers.

My breathing rate quickened as he approached me. I eyed the tweezers with a mixture of emotions which eluded even my attempt of interpretation. I looked over at Jack once more and he raised an eyebrow as if to say 'Go _on, afraid of a little pain?_' You might ask '_How do you know what he wants to say?_' The answer is simple; he had given me that look countless times when we were kids.

I don't know what came over me, but I raised an eyebrow in response, rolled up my sleeve and stuck out my arm. "Come on, and hurry up," I said. Remington looked at Jack in a confused manner and Jack nodded as if to say '_Go on._'

He took my arm gently and with the tweezers widened the wound. I gritted my teeth and examined the large windows of the cabin. I won't describe how I felt; I'll leave that for your imagination. I breathed a sigh of relief as he removed the tweezers from the wound. "No fragments found. This is going to sting a bit," he said as he picked up a piece of clean cloth and a small elegant bottle of rum his medicine chest. He soaked the cloth with rum and cleaned the wound with it. I could stop the whimper that escaped from between my closed lips, even though I was determined that to remain silent.

Black dots swirled around the edge of my vision, threatening to override my line of vision. However, I blinked rapidly, battling it. The sting subsided and Remington washed the wound again, this time with water. The coolness of the insipid liquid was very welcome, as you can imagine.

Next, came the stitches. They didn't hurt as much as I thought they would. However they were not pleasant. Then he wrapped my arm in a clean white bandage. The same procedure followed for the bullet hole in my left leg.

"Don't go straining yourself for the next few days, Miss Pia," Remington said as he closed the cabin door behind him. "Don't go straining yourself for the next few days, Miss Pia. Blah blah blah. I'll do whatever the bloody hell I want," I grumbled to myself as I hobbled over to change into my night-shirt.

I turned towards Jack and motioned towards the door with my head, scowling the whole time. As soon as he closed the door behind him, I changed into my night-shirt. "You can come in," I said as I kicked off my boots. Jack strode in and after removing his coat, hat, weapons and boots, flopped on his bed.

I was struggling and trying, might I add unsuccessfully, to get in my hammock. "What are you doing?" Jack asked as he sat up. "What does it look like?" I replied sarcastically. "You're not sleeping in the hammock, love," he replied as he got up. "Sorry to disappoint you," I said as I managed to climb in it.

However, my victory was short lived because I leaned a bit too far and ended up falling on the floor. He sighed and shook his head. "Given up yet?" he asked as he extended his hand so I could haul myself up. "Never," I replied as I dusted myself. "Pia, you heard what Mr. Remington said, whether you like it or not, you're going to sleep in me bed. Savvy?" He said as he took me by the wrist and dragged me over to his bed.

"Will not!"

"Will to,"

"Will not,"

"Will to,"

"Will not,"

"Will not,"

"Will to- hey you tricked me!" I said. He just sniggered as he sat me down on his bed.

"I won't sleep, I'm not tired," I said. "Pia, that's enough. Go to sleep," he said sternly. I huffed; I was feeling more like a misbehaving child by the second. "But Jack, I'm really not sleepy," I said softly as I got under the sheets. He wrapped his arm around my waist. "Well then, if _that's_ the case, I can think of an activity that would be of a benefit to both of us," he whispered huskily in my ear.

"Umm, not thanks, I think I'll go to sleep," I whispered back. He chuckled and whispered back, "I thought so." He wrapped another arm around me and I turned on my left side, to prevent lying on my right arm, rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes. I didn't realize how really tired I was until that moment, but I still couldn't sleep. However, Jack's heartbeat and breath ended up lulling me to sleep.

**Tell me, what do you think? Personally I didn't like this chapter much. But I promise next chapter will be longer and better.**


	17. Down the Drain: Chapter 17

**Oookay peeps, I'd like to give my special thanks to ****Salisha**** and ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** for their splendid reviews. Thanks!**

**Reply to ****Salisha:**

**Thanks a lot! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter so much. Pia can handle nearly anything, just not quite. And trust me, she **_**can**_** feel pain, she just hides it well. Thanks for the review! I'm glad that it helped you understand Pia's character more.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC. Though if I did, I'd let you guys share.**

"But why not?" I burst out exasperated as I limped after Jack. "Because I said so," he replied as he gestured with his hand wildly. "But why?" I persisted. "Because you're hurt and you can't go climbing ropes." "Then I'll do something else instead of 'climbing ropes', as you so nicely put it," I replied.

He stopped and put his arm around my shoulders. "You see that barrel?" he asked as he pointed at a wooden barrel full of rum. "Yeah, what about it?" I asked frowning. "All you have to do is, go sit on it and look pretty!" he exclaimed as he tried to turn around and hurry away. However, I grabbed his arm and limped on to keep up with him. "I'm serious, Jack," I argued back. "Bloody hell woman! You're driving me crazy! Just, keep quiet!" he exclaimed. I shrugged, "Alright."

Needless to say I followed him everywhere he went, however I kept quiet. "What the hell are you stalking me for?!" he exclaimed after some time as he threw his hands in the air in frustration. I just stared at him and kept my mouth closed. "Well? Answer woman!" he said fuming. "You told me to keep quiet, not to stop following you," I said coolly as I pretended to inspect my nails.

Annoying Jack was a lot, and I mean A LOT of fun. "Very well then, STOP FOLLOWING ME!" he said, shouting the last part. "But-" "No buts! Mr. Gibbs," he said. "Aye sir?" Gibbs replied as he happened to be passing by. "Assign Miss Sterlin to a job," he continued as he swaggered quickly towards the helm muttering something that sounded like "women", "mad" and "insufferable".

"Here," Gibbs started "You could uncoil these ropes, if you're so eager to work," he said with a hint of a smile as he put a bundle of tangled ropes in my arms. I sighed as I sat on a sack. "At least I'll have half an hour's work."

~3 hours later~

Jack's Point of View

Jack looked at Pia from the helm. She looked beautiful; he had to give her that. One of the most beautiful women he ever saw, no scratch that. THE most beautiful woman he ever saw. The sun was shining on her golden bronze skin. The breeze played in her dark hair and her voice, as clear as a summer's day, rose over the waves' crashing on the hull as she sang.

He shifted his gaze to the horizon, guiding the Pearl as if she were a swan.

He couldn't understand why he had asked Pia for another chance the previous night. It was as if he had lost control, and that scared him, a lot. Sure he cared for her and liked her, but she was also his oldest friend, so it was natural for him to feel that way, right? But friends didn't feel what he was feeling for her towards each other. And anyway, what was he feeling? No, he didn't love her, did he? Then what was the feeling he felt? That was it! Lust! Oh yes, he wanted her, very much. That much was true and the chase made him mistake the feeling. But Pia wasn't the first woman he had to chase, and he had never felt this way before.

So what was he going to tell her? What excuse was he going to find?

~That evening~

Jack strode in his cabin late at night. He found Pia curled up under a blanket in her hammock. 'This is it,' he thought to himself as he gritted his teeth in determination and walked over to her.

"Pia," he said as he shook her gently. She groaned and turned over in her sleep. "Pia," he said again, slightly louder. This time she opened her eyes and blearily looked around. "Jack? What happened?" she mumbled, her voice still riddled with sleep "I-wanted to tell you something." "Well, hurry up 'cos I'm tired," she yawned.

"You remember last night, at Pelegosto Island, right?" she nodded. "And you remember what I said, right?" she nodded again. "I-don't think we should, you know, continue." Jack stuttered. She frowned as she sat up. "Why shouldn't we?" "Because, well, we're pirates. And-you know it's dangerous. Gives an enemy more leverage, you know?" He said elaborating with his hands.

"Jack, for once, give me the real reason, please." She sighed. "Love, I'm not lying," he said. She folded her hands and raised an eyebrow as if to say 'You could've fooled me.' He sighed, "Fine. I'm not sure about this. I'm feeling confused and I dunno wha' I really want." "Alright," she replied, "Can I go back to sleep now?"

Jack looked at her face. Her face was blank, void of any emotion. However, he missed the storm of emotions in her eyes, even though she wasn't crying. And he wondered if he meant anything to her at all. He nodded and turned around to his bed as he removed his coat, boots, weapons and hat and put them on a chair.

He had done what he planned, however he didn't feel any better, in fact he felt worse. Just as his head hit his pillow, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pia get up from the hammock and hobble towards her clothes, which were neatly folded on another chair.

She took off a necklace (which looked strangely like the one he had given her when he was 15, before he first set off to sea) and put it in her breeches' pocket. It was a simple silver chain with a silver pendant, a sparrow pendant. Had she kept it all those years?

Pia's Point of View

I woke up very early, as was usual on a ship. Jack had already woken up and probably was steering the Pearl. I changed into my clothes and stuffed my hands in my breeches' pockets. A necklace of some sort was there and I frowned. What possibly could it have been? My eyes widened as I pulled out the sparrow necklace. I never had removed it from my neck since the day that Jack had given it to me.

"So it wasn't a dream," I muttered to myself as I put it back on. I sighed to myself. "No use feeling sorry, you knew this was coming sooner or later," I told myself as I walked outside. The sun had already risen, but it was still very very early, four maybe five o'clock in the morning? Something around that hour anyway.

The crew-men were starting to emerge on deck, most of them still yawning and rubbing their eyes. I sighed again as I realized that it was going to be another day of sitting around because of my 'wounds'. So I went to the forecastle deck and climbed on the bowsprit, looking towards the horizon. The sea spray felt wonderful on my face and the sun wasn't unbearably hot at the time of the day.

"What are you doing here?" a voice asked from behind me. I looked back to see Elizabeth with a curious look on her face, leaning on the railings. "Nothing, wanna come?" I asked indicated where I was perched. "No I'm fine here," she replied. I sighed and looked towards the horizon once again. "You seem melancholy," she said after some time. "Do I?" I asked mildly surprised. She huffed, "You're just as bad as Jack at escaping questions." "You mean as good as Jack at escaping questions," I said and laughed silently as she rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, what's bothering you?" she pressed on. "Just the fact that I can't do anything," I lied, though there was a scrap of truth in it. She was still confused so I decided to further explain. "There are no sails to mend, I can't go up to the nest, I can't tend the sails, I can't fight and I can barely walk." "Well, you could always read," she replied. "I don't have any books," I replied. "I could lend you one," she replied.

~Some time later~

"Land ho!" I looked up from my book and saw that we had, indeed arrived at Puerto Rico. I put down the book and got up eagerly. "Where do you think you're going?" Jack asked as he saw me walking towards the rope ladder. "Don't you dare and try to stop." I warned. "But love-" I sighed, I really wasn't in the mood to fight.

"Please Jack. I don't have anything to do and this is driving me crazy," I said. He raised an eyebrow at my lack of reaction. "Only if you promise to stay with me at all times, this island is rather famous with the Navy and the East India Trading Company." "Alright, I stay with you." I agreed. However, I didn't mention the fact that I didn't promise him and that I was going to slip away at some time.

"Alright men, you have a free day to do whatever you want. Be here by the crack of dawn. Mr. Gibbs?" Jack said. "Aye, sir?" Gibbs replied as he materialized beside him. "Would you mind to stock up on our provisions? See what we can trade from the swag, what needs replacing and so on? I have to attend to some business and glean information of a very important nature." "Of course Cap'n," Gibbs replied.

We climbed down the rope ladder and rowed towards the port as the Pearl's watch-men rolled up the ladder. As soon as we arrived a large beefy man made his way to Jack. "Bless me eyes, it's Jack!" he exclaimed as he slapped Jack's back, nearly throwing him to the other side of the street.

I took this moment as the 'opportune moment' and slipped away just before Jack realized my absence. I really needed some time alone since I was feeling strangely emotionless.

Puerto Rico was nothing special. A nice middle-sized island with cobbled streets, carriages and a mix of British and Spanish people. Half of the island belonged to the natives and was still in its natural-jungle form. I didn't dare to go too close to the towns, in case someone recognized me (though it was a bit a hard since I had never killed anyone or plundered a ship yet; in a manner of speaking, I was still clean). However, I didn't dare to risk it. So I decided to explore the slum areas, meaning those parts favoured by pirates and people who weren't that rich.

I was fine for some time; however my luck ran out when a couple of Marines saw me strolling around. There were 3 of them in all. One was large and brutish looking, the second was tall and lanky with horse-like front teeth and the third was finely-built and very strong-looking.

"Well well well, look what we found here, boys," the strong one said. I immediately knew that I had to fight my way out of the situation and my hardest part seemed to be against the one who spoke. Who also looked as if he was the leader. I kept quiet as Leader circled around me like a hungry wolf.

"You know, a friend of ours would be very pleased to see you. He's been dying to meet a Lady Pirate." He said as he stopped in front of me. "And who is said friend of yours?" I asked as I casually put my hand on my sword's hilt. "You should know him. He said he already met you. You match his description, anyway. He's a certain Cutler Beckett. Does the name ring a bell?" I knew who he was referring to but I pretended to think while planning a way out. "Might've heard of it, why?" "Because you're about to meet him."

**That's it for today. Hope ya like it. You know the drill; more reviews=faster updates.**


	18. Arrested: Chapter 18

**My thanks go to my favourite two reviewers ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** and ****Salisha****. Thank you, thank you thank you for the wonderful reviews!**

**Reply to ****Salisha****:**

***Nods* I agree with you. But hey, give the man a break. It's the first time for him to have feelings towards a woman and he's terrified. Not only that, but Pia's an old friend of his and he's not sure **_**what**_** exactly he's feeling. In one word, he's confused. Thanks for the review though, I appreciate!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.**

"Because you're about to meet him." Instead of coming up with an excuse, I decided to stick with the truth and confuse them even further. I frowned at them and said "No, I'm not." They looked at each other as if to say '_Now what?_'

I took this as my cue to leave, so I turned and ran towards the docks, ignoring the pain in my leg. A split of a second later, I heard the tell-tale _thud thud thud_ of Marine boots behind me. Needless to say, this served as a fuel to me and I increased my speed. I looked behind me to see whether they were catching up or not.

However, this little action caused me to crash into someone, a woman. We both went rolling on the floor; she screaming profanities and I grunting. I quickly untangled myself from her skirts and took off running again. However, the collision caused the three Marines to catch up with me and as soon as I took off, I found myself slammed to the floor once again, with Leader on top of me.

I tried to struggle but an intense pain ripped through my right arm and a warm liquid trickled down, staining my shirt with a crimson red. I realized that with all the struggling, I had ripped the stitches.

The Marine that I was fighting turned me around so I was on my back so that he could hand-cuff me. He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder so that I was carried like a potato sack. "Put me down you barmy dolt!" I shouted as I pounded with my manacled fists on his back and my feet on his torso. "Someone knock her out," he grunted, and the next thing I knew, was one of the Marine's rifle butt descending swiftly on the back of my head. Then I blacked out.

Jack's Point of View

Jack exhaled a breath of relief, at last he had managed to get rid of Isaiah. He didn't hate him, but at the moment he was in a hurry, that was because he had just realized that Pia had escaped.

He snarled to himself as he hurried along the street_, that woman was going to be the death of him_, he thought as bumped into Gibbs. "Ah, just the man I need. Mr. Gibbs, I'm off to search for Pia, you wouldn't mind taking care of the _Pearl_ for me, would you?" he asked. "Aye Cap'n, but what if…you know, you end up captured by the Navy or the East India Trading Company?" he asked. "I have every faith in your navigational skills, Mr. Gibbs," Jack replied as he patted his shoulder and walked on. "Sometimes, I think she's more trouble than she's worth," Gibbs muttered to himself as he strode to the _Pearl_, trying to decipher what Jack had told him.

Jack was asking everyone if they happened to see a young black haired woman in breeches with a sword and a white pistol. But, the answers were either negative or '_maddeningly unhelpful_.' However, just as he was about to give up and head to the _Pearl_ to wait for her there, he happened to pass by an old man who was talking about a '_dark haired woman and three Marines_.'

"You mean to tell us that she escaped?" one of the men from the crowd asked. "Nearly escaped. They had to knock her out, they did. I'm telling ye, she gave 'em one hell of a fight. She ran like the wind, she did, as if Davy Jones hisself was after her. They wouldn'ta caught her if she hadn't crashed full head on in me daughter," he said nodding his head to the murmurs.

"Pray tell what said woman looked like," Jack asked when he managed to squeeze his way to him. The old man scrunched his nose in thought. "She had black hair and brown eyes, aye she did. And her skin wasn't pale; she looked as if she worked on a ship. She had a sword, wore breeches and her pistol was white. Never saw one like tha' before," he said. "You're a diamond mate," Jack replied as he pressed a couple of coins in the old man's hands. "Jus' one last thing, where did the red coats take 'er?"

The old man shrugged his shoulders. " 'Ave no idea mate, though me thinks they took her to a Navy ship. They mentioned that someone would'a be pleased ter see her. Some rich bloke can't really remember his name," he said. "Don't you have a haunch? Maybe you can guess?" Jack pressed on as he put another couple of coins in the man's hand. "Lemme' think. Hmm, ah got it. M'not really sure, but me thinks I heard them mention a certain Beckett or Bucket, somethin' like that anyway. Can't say no more coz I heard no more, mate," he said pocketing his newly earned coins. "Thanks mate," Jack replied as he hurried away to the docks.

When he arrived, he took out his telescope and gazed around the horizon, searching for a sign of a sailing Navy ship and he found one that was heading towards Port Royal. "Bugger," he cursed as he slammed shut the telescope and pocketed it. "Well, well, well if it isn't the elusive Jack Sparrow," a voice said from behind him. "It's Captain, Captain Jack Sparrow. Is it really that hard to remember?" he said annoyed as he turned around to face four or five Marines with their bayonets pointed at him. "Doesn't matter," the one in the front shrugged. "Fetch some irons. And I suggest you come quietly Captain, or your lady friend might have some nasty accidents." "I don't have no lady friends, and don't need to cause any mayhem, because I'm not coming at all," Jack replied self confidently as he saw an open flour sack from the corner of his eye. "And why is that?" the Marine scoffed advancing on him. "Because I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," he gloated as he grabbed the half-filled sack and swung it towards the group of advancing Marines, engulfing them in a cloud of flour.

Needless to say, he escaped as they were coughing and swatting their hands. He didn't run towards the _Pearl_, as they expected. Instead, he ran into the first tavern he found and hurried upstairs to the bedrooms. He pushed open the first door he found and closed it behind him. "Sorry to intrude," he said to the couple that was coupling and before the man's protesting "Hey!" could reach his ears, Jack was already climbing out from the open window. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he was off running again into the jungle.

He nearly fell a couple of times and twigs snagged at his coat, however he ignored the hindrance and pressed on. From the distance, he could hear several shouts of his pursuers. So he decided to stop running and climb a tree. However, as soon as his rapid breathing calmed, he heard some chattering and whimpering coming from behind him higher up in the tree. His dark brown eyes narrowed in suspicion as he looked up.

He saw a monkey holding a large stone (though how it had got it was beyond him) over its head as if it was about to throw it. "Oh bugger," Jack mumbled a split second before the stone connected with his skull, sending him plummeting to the ground. '_Never really liked monkeys_,' he thought before hitting the ground and knocking himself out cold.

**What do you think, people? Personally I found it fun to write about Jack's attempt to escape, even though he was knocked out by a monkey. Don't worry though, he'll pull through, with a little a help. Oh, before I forget, reviews are appreciated. = )**


	19. A Proposition: Chapter 19

**Ok peeps, hope you like chapter 19. I would like to thank ****Salisha**** and ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** for their wonderful reviews, thanks a lot! Your reviews mean so much to me!**

**Reply to ****Salisha****:**

**Thanks for the review! And I'm glad that you enjoyed chapter 18 so much! I hope that you enjoy this chapter as well, though this one is…well, I'll let you read it, ; ).**

Pia's Point of View

The first thing I noticed was the gentle 'tick tock' of a clock. I scrunched my face in confusion. Jack didn't have any clocks in his cabin. If he did, they weren't as noisy as this one. Like sand trickling in an hourglass, my recollection of what happened started to come back to me. My eyes snapped open when I realized that I had been arrested by a couple of Marines.

However, to my surprise I wasn't in a cell or in jail. In fact I was in a bedroom. However, I was still hand-cuffed. I sat up on the soft bed as I examined the room I was in. The room was quite lovely in its way, though it wasn't exactly my type.

The wallpaper was cream-coloured with a pattern of half closed pink rosebuds and small bunches of lavender. The furniture was white in colour with intricate refined carvings. The furniture included a wardrobe, a dresser, a large mirror, the bed I was sitting on and two bedside tables. I was sitting on a large four poster bed with silk drapings that could be drawn at a person's will. On the dresser was one of those odd clocks in a jar, ticking away at the time. Beside the clock, was a white vase with a couple of roses and lavender. There was also a large bay window in the form of an arch. The pink curtains were drawn, blocking the light. But I could just tell that it was just past noon.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, so I could get up and under my feet I felt a soft pink rug. '_Why does everything has to be pink? Hold on a second, under my feet?_' That meant that someone had removed my boots. Thankfully I was still in my breeches, shirt and sash. However, my weapons (meaning my three daggers, my sword and pistol) were missing.

Just as I was about to stand up, the door opened and in strode two maids (a young blonde one and a grey haired old one) with a white pitcher, large white basin and a white towel. The two maids stopped dead in their tracks and looked at each other, as if they weren't expecting me to be awake.

"Who are you?" I asked. "I'm Joan," said the old one. "And I'm Emma," continued the blonde one. "Where am I?" I inquired, continuing with my interrogation. They looked at each other again. "We were given direct orders not to tell you," Emma said as she set down the pitcher and towel on the dresser and started taking out clothes from the drawers. "And what are you doing here with that pitcher and basin?" I asked. I didn't mean to be rude, but I was getting really annoyed.

"To bathe you," replied Joan brusquely as she set down the basin near the pitcher and went to help Emma in her hunt for clothes. I noticed that they had already found some petticoats, a corset and a dress. Now they were in search for a pair of shoes.

"Like hell you are! You honestly think I'm gonna let you bathe me when I don't know where the heck I am?" I said as I stood up. They looked shocked by my out-burst. "That's no way for a proper lady to talk or dress," said Joan scandalized. "Well, I ain't no _proper _lady, am I? Does Cutler Beckett has anything to do with this?" I asked as I vaguely gestured with my hands towards the room. They looked towards each other once again. "We have strict orders not to mention anybody," said Joan in a shaky voice, confirming my suspicions at once.

She turned and whispered something into Emma's ear who hurried out the door and to somewhere unknown. "Alright then, let's clean you up and get you in some nice clean _proper_ clothes," she said in a matron-like voice. "Uh-uh. No way, I am _not _going to put on a corset." I said as I crossed my arms over my chest as best as I could.

"And I am perfectly capable of bathing by myself, thank you very much. No offense," I continued. "None taken. But you _are_ going to let me help you get cleaned up and change into a dress. That's no way of letting a man of a high standing such as Mr. Beckett see you." She said. "Aha! So it_ is_ Beckett's doing!" I said triumphantly. "I-I didn't say that," she stuttered with a deer-in-the-headlights expression.

"Not directly, but that's what you said _indirectly_. So what you said directly made no sense at all, and what you said indirectly made perfect sense," I said, using Jack's technique of playing with words. I sniggered to myself at her baffled expression. "What do you mean?" she asked. "I meant that I listened to what you didn't say," I replied. "You're not making any sense at all," she snorted.

I 'tsk'ed at her snort. "That's no proper way for a lady to talk," I said in my prissiest voice. "I'm sorry Miss, it won't happen again," she apologized with a horrified expression. "Oh come on! There's no need to apologize, I was just pulling your leg," I said.

At that moment, a knock sounded on the door and a man working for the East India Trading Company strode in. "Mr. Beckett requests your presence," he said as he looked directly towards me. I got up and located my boots at the end of the bed. So after putting them on, I walked or should, I say limped, after him towards, what I guessed to be, Beckett's study or office.

Jack's Point of View

He groaned as a splitting headache woke him from his monkey-induced oblivion. The first thing he saw, were bars. Not bars of chocolate, or bars of gold, but prison bars in front of his face. The next moment, he remembered how he ended up arrested.

"Bloody monkeys," he said, cursing monkeys in general. He sat up, rubbing his sore neck and observed his surroundings. He recognized the prison as the one in Port Royal. He had escaped from this very cell by Will's help. However, this time Turner wasn't there and on further inspection, they had changed 'half-pin barrel hinges'. So his old trick of leverage was quite useless.

Pia's Point of View

"So, what is this proposition that you're talking about?" I asked Beckett as he paced in front of me, behind his desk.

"Actually, it's rather complicated. So forgive me if you find my explanation slightly daunting. You see, because of my failure at the battle of Shipwreck Cove, my superiors started to doubt my contribution to the East India Trading Company. They said that I was over-ambitious and that I needed to, how should I explain it, _tame_ my over-motivated character. They also offered me a suggestion. At the moment, I found myself in a position where should I take their suggestion, I would reclaim my title as 'Lord'." He said. "And what is said suggestion?" I asked leaning forward, trying to find a way of how to escape. "Marriage," he said. '_I smell trouble._'

"You see, they reasoned that should I get married, my new responsibilities would calm my over-ambitious nature that sometimes could become destructive. I do not agree with them; however it is my ticket back to my title." '_Not good_.' "And what does this has to do with me?"

"I was thinking that I should set as an example with you. I would grant you clemency, so other pirates would be motivated to request for clemency. That way I'd be able to exterminate pirates and piracy in the Caribbean, once and for all. However, I would only be able to consent to such clemency on the condition that you agree to marry me." "Let's say, for the sake of the argument, that I accept, what would happen when said pirates ask for clemency?" I asked.

"I thought that would be obvious, Miss Sterlin, as my friend says _a short drop and a sudden stop_." "So it's a trap," I stated as he nodded. "And why are you telling me this?" I asked "Why do you want to marry _me_? Why not an upstanding high-class woman?" I continued "Because, my superiors also believe that I am being too harsh with pirates. So if I marry you, they would be forced to drop the argument against me."

"Very good plan, ingenious, however, I see one problem," I said. "And that is?" "I see no gain for me," I replied.

"Maybe I should clarify a bit more. By accepting my proposal, I would be able to grant you clemency and to prevent your appointment with the gallows that is due in a few hours. You would be living in a house, you'd have maids waiting upon you and you'd have a husband and a secure future. All you have to do is, accept my proposition, never set foot upon a ship without my permission, provide me with the information I need on pirates and take good care of our future children when they arrive," he said in a business like way.

"What should happen if my answer is negative?" I asked, knowing that I was backed in a corner. "I'd be unable to stop your execution," he said. "But why _marry_ me? You could use me as a spy," I said. "I already explained," he said starting to loose his patience, "with our marriage I'd be able to show that I'm not being too harsh on pirates. Speaking of which, did you know that your friend, Jack Sparrow, is facing the gallows this very evening?" I knew what I had to do. Jack was facing death because of me. "I'll marry you and accept your terms on one condition," I said. '_Jack, I'll get you out of this, if it's the last thing I do._'

"State your terms, Miss Sterlin," he replied with cold hungry ambition his eyes. I sighed, "I will only marry you if Captain Jack Sparrow is not hanged," I said.

"Consider it a deal Miss Priya Marie Sterlin," he replied. A gasp of shock escaped my mouth, "How do you know my full name?" I asked shocked. No one, and I repeat no one, not even Jack knew that my full name was Priya Marie. "I have my sources," he replied smirking.

"Guards!" he said raising his voice. Two EITC members entered the room. "Yes sir?" "Take Miss Pia to her room and you can remove the shackles. Oh, by the way, _Captain_ Jack Sparrow," he said, sneering the word Captain, "Is to be left without food or water until he dies," he continued. "Yes sir," they replied as they took my arms roughly.

A gasp escaped my mouth once again, "You promised," I hissed. "I assure you, your affections are lost on such a vile creature. And I intend to keep my promise. He won't be hanged; instead he will be starved." He said. "_Pirate_," I hissed as the guards dragged me to my room.

The door locked behind me as I slid down the door. "This is all my fault," I whispered to myself. "If I hadn't escaped at Puerto Rico…." my voice cracked and died down.

I was to be imprisoned for the rest of my life, Jack was going to be starved, other pirates were going to be tricked, I would never see the sea or Jack again and all of this because of my stubbornness.

And for the first time in years, I cried.

**Hope you liked it people. Don't hate me too much for Pia's situation. It'll get better…eventually. Remember, more reviews-faster updates.**


	20. Female Interrogators: Chapter 20

**Alright peeps, my thanks go to ****Salisha**** and ****SoftlySpokenHeart****. Thank you for the lovly reviews!!**

**Reply to ****Salisha****:**

**Thanks for the review. Technically, Jack isn't going to be hung but starved (in my opinion it's worse). At least that's what Beckett thinks is going to happen. But we're forgetting one thing…that he's Captain Jack Sparrow ; ). As for Pia's situation…well I can't comment much at the moment or I'll ruin the suspense and plot. Thanks for the review!**

I admit, I was quite ashamed of my emotional outburst. However, I wasn't my usual self, I had been kidnapped twice in the time-span of a week, and it was _that_ time of the month, if you know what I mean. So I was a little extra-emotional than usual. You might ask '_Weren't you alone in your room?_' that was what I first thought as well.

However, Emma was waiting for me in my room to help me clean up. It seemed that my pathetic tears tugged a couple of strings at her heart and the next thing I knew, she was hugging me and comforting me the way she knew. However, when I told her the reason why I was so depressed, she didn't understand. She showed her sympathy when I told her of the-soon-to-be Jack's starvation. But there was no sympathy when she heard that I was never to set foot on a ship again.

She just couldn't grasp the fact that when I was high up in the _Pearl's_ rigging I became alive. And it wasn't entirely her fault either.

She had never felt the wind tug gently at her clothes, her hair swirling like a halo in the morning sea-breeze, or the sea's cool damp evening breath on her cheeks. She had never seen the vast blue waters sparkling in the sweltering hot Caribbean sun, or the grey powerful clouds before a storm. She had never tasted freedom, or felt the saltiness of the sea-spray on her lips. She had never seen the dolphins frolicking in the water, or shoals of glimmering fish in the golden light, or the way the waters looked in the night reflecting the pinpricks of stars as if they were diamonds strewn across a jeweler's velvet in his display-window.

I sighed again, I was never to see or feel those things again either. '_Not if you don't help yourself,_' said a quiet sly voice in my head. Emma was powdering my face, arms and neck, so that I looked paler than usual. She had helped me clean myself, even though I insisted that I was perfectly capable of doing so myself. The look on her face was comical when she saw the bullet-wounds, one in my left leg and the other in my right arm. (At least, someone had re-stitched the busted stitches in my arm when I was knocked out.)

I was dressed in a light-blue dress with lacey-trimmings (obviously with several layers of petticoats and a corset) and a pair of shoes. My hair was tied in a bun with a couple of glossy curls framing my face. In a few words, I looked like a high-class woman that spent too much time out-doors.

"You look very beautiful, Miss," said Emma. "Thanks. Can you please call me Pia?" I asked as she sprayed some rose-scented perfume, engulfing me in a perfumed cloud. "That's not proper," she replied. "Screw proper! Everything around here is prim and proper, I'm sick of it." I exclaimed, flinging up my hands in frustration. "Very well, then but only in private, Pia," she replied battling a smile. "Come on then, you have to go to the salon (sitting room). Mr. Beckett is going to introduce you to his friends' women as his fiancée. Here, he told you to wear this," she said handing me a ring.

It had a diamond in the centre and was surrounded by small sapphires and small diamonds, set in a white-gold ring. I slipped it in my left ring finger as I limped down the stairs where I found Beckett, or should I say Cutler as he wanted me to refer to him, waiting for me.

"My colleagues' wives meet here every-day. They consider my house to be '_safest'_ from pirates," he said as his hand slipped around my waist. I forced myself to retain a '_normal'_ face as we walked, in my case limped, towards the large salon door. "You mean, this room is their gossip centre," I stated. He chose to ignore the last comment. Before I could blink, I was standing in the salon. Every conversation was paused as every head was swiveled towards us.

"Evening ladies," Beckett began as murmurs of '_good_ _evening'_ went around the room. "This is Miss Pia Sterlin. She was aboard a pirate ship up till this morning. Treat her nicely," and with that he was gone. Every perfumed powdered woman assessed me as I strode towards the first empty armchair I found, which happened to be in the middle of the seated gaggle of women.

Slowly, conversation started on around me and I sighed in relief. '_Maybe they won't bother me, maybe they-_'"Is it true what Cutler said?" a voice said from beside me. I opened my eyes and found a middle-aged woman in a green satin dress staring at me. This seemed to be what everyone was waiting for as conversation died down once again and everyone stared at me.

"Yes," I replied. "That must have been horrible!" another woman in a red dress exclaimed. I frowned and looked at her "And why is that?" I asked. Surprised murmurs flowed around me. "Well, you were aboard a pirate ship!" she exclaimed, as if the statement was enough to make me faint. "Oh," I replied. I knew that I couldn't hide the fact that I was aboard Jack's ship and I also knew that sooner or later they would discover that I was a pirate. So I decided to stick with the truth, mostly.

"Well this particular ship I was on was in very good condition," I said. "Which ship?" asked a young woman in a pink dress. "_The_ _Black_ _Pearl_." I replied proudly. I was as proud as Jack was of that ship; I had learned to love her, it was impossible not to. A gasp of horror went around. "I heard it was crewed by cursed men," said red dress lady. "_Was_. Not anymore," I replied.

"Doesn't that ship belong to Jack Sparrow?" asked another woman. "_Captain_, Captain Jack Sparrow. And yes, he's her captain." I replied. Murmurs went around the room again at the mention of the infamous Captain's name. "Is it true that he's ruthless and daft?" "No he's not ruthless. But he _is_ daft; dafter than daft," I replied chuckling quietly as I took some sherry from the coffee-table that was in front of me.

"I heard that he's a womanizer, is that true?" I gripped the glass in my hand tighter. "Yes," I said. From the surprised look they gave, I'm sure that a dark look passed from my eyes. As much as I tried to deny it, I couldn't help my feelings towards him. "Do you love him?" Lady-in-pink asked. I choked in the sherry that I was drinking. "_Love_ him?" I asked in a high-pitched voice due the choking. "No, I don't," I replied. I had already decided to tell them (if they asked) the truth about Jack's and my childhood friendship. But I wasn't going to admit my feelings. Sure I liked him, but admitting that would be giving them '_leverage'_ as Jack would say had he been in my situation.

There were several sniggers and another woman, this time in yellow dress asked "So how did you on end up on his ship?" "I used to work there," I replied as if it was the most obvious reason. "You mean you weren't a prisoner? You're a _pirate_?" she asked again shocked. '_Maybe the truth wasn't such a good idea._' "_Was_, I _was_ a pirate. Not anymore. If it puts you more at ease, I never killed anyone or took part in a raid," I said, which was true. A ripple of relief went through the room.

"Tell us more about Captain Sparrow," said Lady-in-green. I sighed inwardly; this was going to be one long afternoon.

~later on in the evening~

"And then they made him their chief," I said finishing the story Jack had told me once. I knew that he had embellished it, a lot, but I still recounted it the way he had when…well you know, when I lost _it_ to him. The gaggle of women proved to be a more than satisfactory audience, gasping at right time and what not. Actually it was fun.

However, Lady-in-red snorted. "You expect us to believe that-piece of garbage?" she grunted. I raised an eyebrow. "It's true, you know. I saw the Pelegostos a couple of days ago, with my very own eyes" I said. In truth I didn't actually _see_ the people themselves, but…oh well they didn't need to know that fact. Lady-in-pink gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. "How?" she inquired, her eyes shining like a little girl's with curiosity. I drained my sherry.

"Long story short, I was kidnapped and shot and, with Jack's help, managed to escape. We were waiting for _the_ _Pearl_ on their island when they knocked me out. I don't know what happened to Jack after that but then I woke up all tied up sitting on a throne of human bones." Another gasp. Lady-in-red snorted again.

"Where's the evidence?" she asked. "If I wasn't wearing stockings I'd show you the rope burns on my ankles and the shot in my leg. But, because of this bloody corset, bending would be a tad bit difficult. So I'll just show you the bullet wound in my arm," I said, pushing up my right sleeve up above my elbow, exposing the stitched-up bullet hole.

Another gasp of horror ran around…until Lady-in-green noticed my engagement ring. "What is that?" she asked. "A bullet wound," I replied, thinking that she was referring to the wound. "No. I meant the ring. The ring on your left-ring finger. You're engaged? To whom?" she asked excited. '_Uh oh._'

**Hope you like this one. I decided that it was time for a light 'relaxed' chapter. I hope it hasn't annoyed you much. And reviews are appreciated very much. Till next time peeps!**


	21. Night Visit: Chapter 21

**Okie dokie, peepie popie. Lol, that was weird. Anyway, this is chapter 21. My thanks go to ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** and ****Salisha****, thanks for the fantastic reviews! I really appreciate!**

**Reply to ****Salisha****:**

**Thanks for the review! Of course Pia's situation will improve…eventually. Thanks again for the review!**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own POTC.**

I had managed to survive through the ladies' excitement as they discovered my engagement to Beckett. I sniggered to myself as I turned around in my bed waiting for time to pass.

I was a pirate, and even though I said that I had '_retired'_ from that profession, my motto always said: '_Once a pirate, always a pirate._' I chuckled to myself as I got up from under the covers and put on my pirate outfit, except for my boots, that way I'd be more silent. I had managed to convince Emma to wash it and dry it for me (along with my self-designed underwear).

I had also managed to steal back my weapons. It was pretty easy, to be honest. They were in Beckett's office. Sometimes I think that others make my finding back of my weapons for me far too easy. Either they're incredibly stupid or else I'm a genius, I rather doubt it.

I had also managed to steal a large chunk of bread, a water-flask and a handful of nuts (which I wrapped in a piece of cloth). I put everything, meaning my weapons and food, in a cloth bag, slung it on my shoulder and climbed down the window. You may ask '_How so?_' Well, let's just say that without the help of an ivy, I wouldn't have done it.

My destination was Port Royal prison, but I didn't go to their front door. No, instead I went to the cells' barred windows, looking in each one. I had almost given up, but decided to check the last couple of cells and Jack turned out to be locked in the last one.

"Psst! Hey Jack, Jack wake up!" I whispered through the bars. But his snores continued uninterrupted. I couldn't risk speaking again so I picked up a small pebble and chucked it towards him. I laughed quietly to myself as it hit him square on the nose. Needless to say, this woke him up. However, he wasn't happy with me. And with good reason.

"You know this is your fault," he growled. I hung my head and whispered "I know, and I'm paying for it, dearly." "What do you mean?" he asked, the iciness from his voice melting away. "Do you know why you weren't hung this evening?" I asked as I looked up at him. He shook his head. "Because-because, I," I shook my head, not being able to utter the word. "Out with it, lass," he whispered. In response I lifted my left hand, letting the ring glimmer and gleam in the moonlight.

He paled as soon as he saw the ring. "Who?" was all he could mutter. "Beckett," I replied. "And you accepted!?" he hissed. "There was no other way! It's the only way I could have saved your neck and mine!" I hissed back. "Well, if you didn't-" he started, however I interrupted him.

"I know, I know. If I had listened to you none of this would've happened. But we've no time for this. Beckett is still trying to kill you. He's going to starve you. I brought you food; don't eat all of this tonight. Save some for tomorrow. Here," I said as I shoved the cloth bag between the bars.

He eagerly opened the bag took out the flask. He tasted its contents and looked at me in dismay. "No rum?" he asked. "Just be thankful, it was so bloody hard to get you even that," I replied. He looked into the bag again and opened his mouth to ask me about the weapons, no doubt. "I've no time. Hide everything under your bunk. Try not to loose anything. I'll work out a way to steal the keys, but you have to stay here for a week, so as not to raise suspicions," I whispered. "I have to go," I whispered as he hid the bag under the bunk.

"Wait," he whispered back. "Go to the docks, search for _the Pearl_. Gibbs should be there by now. Tell him to hide the ship behind the cliffs. Tell him to bring me food every night. Also alert him when you manage to steal the key to be prepared with the ship ready to set sail." He said.

I nodded before I ran full speed to the docks, where I found _the Pearl_. After relaying Jack's massage to Gibbs, who should I say was anxious about his Captain's condition; I raced back to Beckett's mansion. I climbed to my window and before fully announcing my presence; I hung by the ivy listening in case someone was in my room.

Pleased when I heard no sound except the clock's ticking, I hauled myself through the open window, closed it, removed my clothes and hid them and put on my nightdress, which in my opinion was way too long. I let myself fall on the soft bed and, without bothering myself to get under the bed sheets, I fell asleep, missing Jack's lumpy bed and my hammock.

**That's all folks, I'm terribly sorry it's so short. But I had a bad case of writer's block. Please review and I'll give you cookies : ).**


	22. Escaping the restriction: Chapter 22

**Dum de dum, lol that was stupid. Anyway, this is chapter 22, I hope you like it. My thanks go to ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** and ****Salisha****. Thanks for your splendid reviews! I really appreciate, they made my day!**

**Reply to ****Salisha****:**

**Thanks for the review dearie! I really appreciate and am glad that you enjoyed it. Hope you like this one as well.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.**

"Pia? Wake up!" a female voice said in my ear. I groaned and turned over and …fell to the floor. A tinkle of laughter made me squint my eyes against the morning sun's glare. The previous day's recollections came crashing back and my mood dropped below zero.

"Pia? Hurry up! You don't have time to loose!" Emma said as I untangled myself from the sheets and strode over to the white ewer and basin. I didn't even try to tell her to let me bathe alone, I knew I wouldn't win that battle. After putting on a petticoat (I insisted on wearing only one) came the corset.

"How about wearing a pink dress for today?" Emma asked me as she began to tug and pull the corset's strings. "Anything but a-pink dress!" I gasped as I had the air squeezed out of me. "Then how about an extra-tight corset?" she asked smirking. "I'll go along with-the pink-dress! Bloody corset!" I cursed, feeling my ribs gingerly with my fingers. "I think you might've fractured a couple of ribs," I said as Emma pulled a dark red dress over my head.

"Nonsense," she laughed as she pushed me on a stool, picking up the sponge-like thing to start covering me in powder. "Oh, no powder and no weird hairstyles," I said as I ducked under her hand and snatched a silver brush. However, Emma deftly put down the sponge-thing and grabbed the brush from my hands as she attacked my hair with it.

When I was ready to leave my room, I was dressed in a dark red, black shoes, a string of black pearls around my neck, my hair (soft like silk) tied in a pony-tail with a black ribbon, no powder and rose-fragranced. All in all, I pleased with my appearance, though I would have preferred my pirate clothes any day.

Emma took me to a room. I was starting to feel more like a child by the second. The room was painted a soft peach colour and the furniture was made of pine wood. There was a large book-case filled with, what else, books. There was also a piano, a large settee, a desk and a chair and some random pictures hanging on the wall. On the table there was also some sort of box with, what I recognized to be, sewing materials. I only noticed the room's sole occupant after checking the room twice. (She was dressed in a soft peach colour, so it wasn't entirely my fault).

Do you remember me mentioning a certain Lady-in-red who kept snorting at me and not believing my stories the previous day? That's the person I'm talking about. She was the one waiting for me, and to be honest she was getting impatient. "Well come on, hurry up young lady. I don't have all day," she snapped.

I turned around to search for Emma, only to find that she was gone. Lady-what's-her-name huffed as she waddled towards me, grabbing my upper-right arm. A howl escaped my lips as she literally _picked me up_ and carried me to the middle of the room. Yes, you got it right, she picked me up and her hand happened to be squeezing the bullet-wound.

"What the hell are you trying to do? Maul me?" I shrieked as I managed to escape her grip. She sighed to herself, "So much to do," she murmured before continuing, "First of all I should be introducing myself. I am Lady Amelia Rosalinda Estella Nelson and I'm here to guide you and teach you certain things which, I am sure, you lack. The first thing is about your sense of style. The dress is good enough, corset needs tightening, more powder and different hairstyle for sure."

Lady Amelia turned around to call for a maid no doubt but before she could open her mouth, I jumped in her way and said "I will either stay like this or if a change of clothes is in need, the only clothes I will put on will be breeches and a shirt." She only raised an eyebrow and called for Emma.

I hurried over to the table and picked up a pair of scissors. From the corner of my I saw Lady Amelia walking towards me, so I jumped on the chair and clambered on the table. "And what exactly are you intending to do young lady?" she sneered. "If you or anyone comes near me, I'll rip this dress and corset and put on breeches. And there wouldn't be one bloody thing you'd be able to do," I hissed, narrowing me eyes at her.

At that exact moment, Emma knocked on the closed door and said "Lady Amelia? Did you call for me?" Lady Amelia looked at me one more time and in response, I grabbed a handful of skirts and brought the scissors towards the fabric in my hand. "No, you can go back to work," she said as I clambered down from the table, still clutching the scissors.

"We need to work on that attitude of yours young lady. But first we'll start with reading. Take a seat," she said as I rolled my eyes and flopped on the settee. The rest of the day was spent with Lady Amelia lecturing me on how to speak and how to sit and other nonsense and with me trying to convince her, unsuccessfully, that I already knew how to read.

Jack's Point of View

Jack stared at the wall opposite him, counting the bricks, the number of bars and the paving stones. He was bored out of his mind, not to mention irritable at the lack of rum.

His thoughts wondered to Pia, as they had done thousands of time already. A scowl appeared on his face. Probably she was dressed in silks and satins, sitting on some cushioned arm-chair drinking sherry and eating cherries and chocolates. He couldn't (and wouldn't) deny it, he was jealous of Beckett. Probably she was laughing at him behind his back while he was there, waiting and hoping like the fool he was.

Maybe, just maybe she _did_ feel something for him; perhaps she _was_ going to try and help him and keep her promise. He sighed and started counting the bricks again, waiting patiently for night to come.

Pia's Point of View

I lay in bed, waiting for the clock to strike midnight. I had managed to steal the prison keys and my usual pirate garb was waiting for me under the pillow.

As soon as I heard the first chime, I jumped from the bed and removed the night-dress. As rapidly as I could, I put on my dark brown breeches, white shirt, red sash and the sparrow necklace. Before I began my descent down the bay window, I tied my hair back to keep it from swirling in my face and grabbed my boots.

You can imagine how awkward my climb downwards was since I could only use one hand (I was clutching my boots, keys and a small bottle of alcohol in the other hand). Once I landed, I put on my boots and ran full speed ahead to the cliffs.

As soon as I arrived, I searched for a stout piece of wood and, after finding a dry one, poured the alcohol on it. I took some match-sticks that I had tucked earlier in my pocket and lit the wood.

The previous day, Gibbs and I had agreed that I was to signal him to take the ship to dock by waving a light or a flame three times from the cliffs and then drop it over the edge in the water when the plan was to take action. And that was what I did. I didn't wait another second, but ran back to the jail-cells, where I found Jack still awake.

**Hope ya liked it, I know this acted as a kind of a filler, but anyway, I thought it'd be fun to tell you how Pia spent her day. Especially that table part. Sorry for the crappy chapter-title, but I couldn't find one. But anyway, leave some reviews before you go! I'll give you cookies if you do!**


	23. Keep to the Code: Chapter 23

**My thanks go to ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** and ****Kitten-Azurro**** for the lovely reviews. Thanks a lot you made my day! **

**Reply to ****Kitten-Azurro****:**

**Thanks a lot for reading my story, I'm really glad that you enjoyed them and that you like Pia! I was thinking that maybe I should write a couple of Jack's point of views in first person, just not all. Thanks for the review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own POTC.**

"Jack! Get up! We're leaving!" I said as I tossed him the keys. "But a week hasn't passed yet," he said as he got up and unlocked his cell. "Change of plans," I said as I rushed towards the door to wait for him.

He pushed open the door and hurried over to where his weapons, coat, and hat were waiting for him. As soon as he was out (with his hat, coat and 'effects' as he liked to call his weapons and my weapons), we were sprinting to the docks.

"How come the keys were at Beckett's?" he puffed. Usually there would be a dog at the prison with the keys, however this time they were at Beckett's house. "No idea and-keep to the Code should anything-happen," I panted. He looked at me with a questioning expression and at that moment a Marine appeared out of no where in front of him, pointing his bayonet at Jack, as if to prove my point.

"_Jack look out!_" I screeched as I hurtled myself onto Jack to prevent him from running head on into the bayonet. I realised that Beckett was having me followed around. _That_ was why everything was so easy.

"Pia what-" "Jack, run!" I shouted as I got up and flung myself at the Marine, dodging the bayonet. I caught him by surprise and ended up knocking him to the floor, the bayonet scattering uselessly across the street. "But love what about you?" Jack said as he got up and knocked the Marine unconscious with the butt of his pistol. I looked behind me when I was still sprawled on the floor.

"There are more coming, we won't make it out. Jack you must go, now! Tell every pirate you meet not to accept Beckett's clemency, it's a trap. I'll distract them while you take off on the _Pearl_." I said quickly as I got up.

"But-" "Go you idiot! _Any man who falls behind is left behind_!" I screamed as I tried to run towards the advancing Marines. However, he grabbed my arm and dragged me back. "But you'll be left _here_," he said gesturing vaguely around. I recognized panic in his voice. "GO YOU IDIOT!" I screamed as I tried to struggle out of his arms.

He gazed at me helplessly, with the Marines shooting around us. It was a miracle that none of us was hit. "Keep a weather eye on the horizon, love. You'll see me again before the month is out," he whispered as he pushed his lips on mine roughly. I kissed him quickly and pushed him away. "NOW GO!" and I ran towards the Marines, fighting tooth and nail and dodging the bullets.

Luckily, there were only three of them. So I jumped on one, brought another one down with us and hooked my leg in the crook of the knee of the other one. I looked back towards Jack and saw that he had already disappeared.

I sighed a sigh of relief and got up, preparing to take off again. However, one of the Marines grabbed my ankle and I crashed to the floor. Another one quickly got up, clapped me in irons and carried me to Beckett's house over his shoulder. I don't know where the other two went, probably they went after Jack. But I was willing to bet anything that they didn't catch him.

I was locked in a room that wasn't very pleasant. It was bare, except for a chair, an oak desk and a dark green armchair. There was also a large window and I ran towards it, to try and escape. However, it was no window, but glass disguised as a window, so light could enter through it during the day.

"Burst the glass," I murmured to myself as I turned around in search of something

to bust it open. However, there was none so instead, I grabbed the chair and hurled it towards the fake window. As impossible as it sounds, the glass didn't shatter as I expected.

I realised that it was extra thick, so it meant that this was some sort of 'interrogation room'. I sighed and walked slowly to this window and looked downwards. There was nothing that I could climb down with and it was too high to jump, so even if I had managed o break the glass, I would still have been trapped.

I looked out towards the sea. It was still dark and the sky was clouded so it was impossible to see anything at sea. It was the perfect night for an escape, if only Beckett had been stupid enough to trust me… apparently he wasn't. It might have been my imagination, but I thought that I saw a dark shape move out of the port and into the open sea.

"I should have been on _the_ _Pearl_ as well, sailing away from here," I sighed quietly to myself as I moved away from the fake window. I sat in a corner and rested my head against the wall and tried to sleep and forget, unsuccessfully.

**That's all folks, hope ya liked it. Sorry it was so short. Reviews are appreciated. (The more reviews I get, the faster I update). Till next time : ).**


	24. Bloody Seafood: Chapter 24

**Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you chapter 24! Hehe, couldn't resist. Anyway hope ya like it. My special thanks go to ****Salisha**** and ****SoftlySpokenHeart****. Thanks a lot for the smashing reviews! They mean a lot to me, I can hardly believe it, 31 reviews! Thanks a lot!**

**Reply to ****Salisha****:**

**Thanks a lot for the review, and I'm really glad that you enjoyed chapters 22 and 23! I'll try to include the red dress again, try to create a situation where will see Pia in the red dress and black pearls. And Jack will be showing up again (though I don't know how soon), but he will. Thanks again!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own POTC.**

I didn't sleep, I just sat there, in my humble corner, dozing off but never sleeping.

The sun rose, progressing from a reddish pink ball over the horizon to a blazing white fireball in the middle of the sky. I figured it was about noon when his Highness, aka Beckett, decided to visit me. I had managed to doze off when he came in, however I soon woke up from my light slumber.

"You're lucky that I managed to gloss over your little adventure. You would've been the fresh juicy gossip this morning." He said as he walked over to the fake window. I shrugged. "Had worse rumours whispered about me," I said as I got up, popping and cracking my back.

"I hope you know that your behavior will not go unpunished," he said turning to me. "Really?" I mocked, sarcasm dripping heavily from my voice. He ignored it and continued on. "As a matter of fact, I am about to undertake a voyage, by sea. Nothing big, just a visit to the other side of the island, Falmouth. It should only take a week at the most. And I was thinking, since you love sailing so much, you'd enjoy being out at sea. Now, I'm afraid to say, you have to stay here." I just snorted in reply. "Well then, I've got work waiting for me. A maid will bring you food here and then you are to clean up and dress appropriately. Lady Amelia will be waiting for you in two hours time." he said.

As he strode out, a maid carrying a tray with a glass of water, a bowl of soup and a piece of bread came in. Fortunately, she had the keys to remove my hand cuffs. In a couple of minutes, I had devoured the soup (without actually tasting it) and was following Emma to my room.

About two hours later, I was with Lady Amelia (in a too tight corset, powdered face, silly hairstyle and yellow dress). That was when I started feeling…strange.

At first it was nothing serious, just some itching in my face, neck, chest and arms. Soon afterwards came the stomach cramps, nothing serious. It was _that particular_ time of the month, no worries. A couple of minutes later, I started wheezing and coughing. Maybe I had caught a cold? But when? And then I felt my tongue and throat swell, so speech was impossible. '_I hope it's not-_'

That was when my suspicions were confirmed…and when the _real_ attack began. My breath came in short gasps of air as I threw away the book from my hands, ran to the table and grabbed a pair of scissors. I ripped the dress and corset and threw open the window, trying to breathe. Lady Amelia's protests didn't even register in my ears.

You might think that by removing the corset I might have been able to breathe, right? _Wrong!_ On the contrary, I felt my chest and throat tightening. '_Breathe, breathe. Calm down and breathe._' I kept chanting in my head, trying to suck in precious air. However, I felt myself choking on the very air that was trying to pass into my lungs. Tears streamed down my face as I grabbed the window-ledge in a white-knuckle grip trying to pull in air.

I confirmed my suspicions that the soup which I had eaten (and failed to realize what it was) was fish-soup or Bouillabaisse, as the French call it. I vaguely remember Emma rushing in to help me as I lost consciousness. Blackness swirled around me, clouding my vision and I felt myself loosening the death-grip on the window-ledge.

Emma's Point of View

She was carrying the freshly cleaned laundry when she heard Lady Amelia's shout from the sitting room. So Emma quickly put the laundry-basket on a small mahogany side table and hurried to the aforementioned room. She arrived just in time to see Pia (who at the moment was without a corset and dress) loose consciousness by the open window.

"Oh God, Pia!" the words flew out of her mouth as she saw her friend on the floor. "It is not proper-" began Lady Amelia in a chiding voice. "Quiet Lady. Joan! Joan! Oh God, Pia, wake up! Polly! Polly! _Pia!_" Emma knelt beside Pia as she turned her on her back, shaking her gently. Joan and Polly (a young brown-haired maid) rushed in the sitting room as if it were Judgment Day itself.

"Oh dear!" gasped Joan as she knelt beside the unconscious woman. "Polly, run and get the doctor, or an herbalist, or a chemist or someone! Joan, help me carry Pia up to her room. Lady Amelia, if you can't do anything, _please_ stay out of the way!" Emma said as she hooked her elbow under Pia's arms. Joan copied Emma's actions and together, they carried (as best as they could) Pia to her bedroom.

Her head lolled to the side and Emma glimpsed small red swellings on her neck. On further inspections, she realized that the swellings were not only on her neck but on her face, chest and arms as well. "Hannah!" Emma shouted, calling yet another maid. This particular one was a red-haired woman with a rather lax mouth.

"What's got'n your pants in a knot?" Hannah said as she appeared at the top of the stair-case. "Get a piece of cloth and a small bowl of cool water, quickly!" Emma said as Hannah turned and hurried away, grumbling about "_weak aristocrats_". In a manner of seconds, Pia was on her bed, stripped of clothing except for a thin loose shift. Lady Amelia trailed at the door unsure of what she should do as Emma soaked the cloth in the water Hannah had brought and gently wiped the powder from Pia's face, chest and arms.

Polly rushed in tugging on the hand of a dark skinned woman in a black dress. "This-is the only herbalist I could find-Magdalene," Polly panted, apologizing for bringing an herbalist who was interested in the mystical artifacts. There was absolute stillness in the room as everyone observed the obeah woman.

She had dark skin, black hair and dark green eyes. She seemed to emit a dark aura. However, she didn't give off a sense of evil. "If you can do anything to help her, please do so," Emma said, shattering the silence. Magdalene's gaze shifted to the woman that was on the bed, gasping for breath. Her expression turned to one of shock.

"Why is she here?" she said with a slight Cuban accent, as she pointed a slender finger at her. "She's Mr. Beckett's _fiancée_," Lady Amelia responded haughtily. Magdalene shifted her gaze to her and Lady Amelia was taken aback to see rage. "Was it by her own choice? Or was she threatened?" Nobody answered. "Did she like him? Or was there another man before him that still has a place in her heart?" Magdalene said.

"She-mentioned another person," Emma said quietly. "Ah, there is no mistake then," she sighed as she walked over to Pia. "Please, everyone must go out of the room, while I take care of her," she continued as she opened her leather-bag.

As soon as everyone piled out, she took three large dried leafs and crushed them into small pieces. These crushed leaves ended up in the bowl of water that Hannah had brought earlier. Then, she added one dried red flower and poured half a bottle of foul-smelling oil.

Magdalene stirred her concoction and held the mixture under Pia's nose, waiting patiently for her to wake up from her stupor.

Pia's Point of View

The first thing I noticed was itchiness, and believe me it was _not _comfortable. No, not comfortable at all. The next thing I noticed was that my eyes were closed and then that someone had placed some fetid something under my nose.

My eyes snapped open and my hand flew to my mouth. "I'm going to throw up," I mumbled through my hand. Someone pushed a bucket in front of me not a minute too soon. That was because just as I glanced down at it, my stomach's contents came rumbling up my gullet. "Ugh," I groaned wiping my mouth on my sleeve as I finished emptying my stomach. "_Bloody seafood_."

"I need to ask you a question, an important question," someone said. That was when I noticed the woman sitting on a chair beside my bed. "Umm, excuse me but who are you?"

**Alright, don't hate me too much for making Pia eat sea-food. For those who haven't got it, she's allergic to sea-food; meaning fish, caviar etc. Oh, by the way, I'd be glad if you leave a couple of reviews. Peace!**


	25. Recovery,Perplexity&Nostalgia: Chapter25

**Okie Dokie, my thanks go to ****SoftlySpokenHeart****, ****Salisha**** and ****TemptedResistation****. Thanks a lot, I really appreciate, really I do!**

**Reply to ****Salisha****:**

**Thanks a lot for the review! No, Beckett had nothing with it, I don't suppose he has any connection with what goes on in the kitchen (even if it's his house, imagine him cooking). And no, Magdalene is not related to Tia Dalma, but she's on her way to becoming a voodoo priestess like her. And trust me, Jack's appearance is getting real close. Thanks for the review! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.**

"Umm, excuse me but who are you?" I asked.

She had a dark curtain of hair. Her skin was also dark and her eyes were slanted, just like a cat's with a dark green colour. She was also dressed in black. All in all, she looked like a very pretty seductress.

"I am Magdalene. A simple herbalist studying the mystical artifacts, currently residing in Port Royal," she replied. I also noticed that she had a slight accent, very like Tia Dalma's. "Do you know who your mother's father is?" she asked. "No, why should I? My father was _kind_ enough to leave me a dagger before he disappeared." I replied sarcastically as I said of my father's said '_kindness'_.

"May I see?" she asked extending her hand. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I gave it to someone," I said, "for safe keeping," I continued as soon as I saw her angry glance. '_Don't need angry witches as enemies._' "You are willing to part with your only family heirloom, left by your own father's mother herself?" she asked seething.

"Look, _this_" I said as I got up and gestured around my ridiculously pink room, "Is all my fault. For acting on stupid selfish impulse. Along with me, I brought down another person. Giving him my weapons and making sure he escapes, even though it means the end to my freedom, is the only way I could have helped." She looked at me with an incredulous expression.

"You have no idea-" "No, _you_ have no idea! He faced the _gallows_ because of me!" I exclaimed. She still looked unimpressed. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "I've known this certain person for as long as I can remember. I just couldn't stand to see him being starved knowing that I could have done _something_, no matter how self destructive, to prevent it." she still looked unimpressed. '_God, this woman is driving me nuts_.' I turned away from her and looked out to the sea.

"I-I love him, parting with a family heirloom is _nothing_ compared to seeing him hung. If by giving it to him ensures his freedom, then so be it. It's the least I could do," I whispered. I was scared, there's no denying it, and confused. The thought of seeing Jack hung (or starved) made my insides turn to ice with dread. And confusion; sure I wouldn't have liked seeing a close friend hung. But Jack…I had a particular soft-spot for him. And I started to wonder, was it _only_ attraction? However, my feeling of dread returned again, '_No, not only attraction, but much much more._'

"You love him?" Magdalene asked with a sort of hopeless tone. I realized what I had done. "I shouldn't have said that," I replied softly. "Well then, I don't have much to say. Captain Sparrow holds an intense liking to you, but is afraid to admit it to himself," she said. '_How…? Oh, witchy powers._' "And be careful," she continued.

She poured the bowl's foul-smelling mixture in a bottle and as soon as she screwed the cap, an intense exhaustion, starting from the base of my skull, spread in my body. If it wasn't for the bed-post, I'm sure I would have fell to the floor, for a wave of dizziness made me loose my sense of balance. Noticing this, Magdalene helped me get to bed.

She placed a bottle filled with a sweet-smelling ointment on the bedside table after pouring some of it on her hands. With this liquid, she rubbed my face, neck, chest and arms. "For the rash," she explained gently. On her face I noticed a kind and devoted look. She put everything in her leather-bag and walked towards the door.

"Magdalene, who was my father's mother?" I asked. I recognized a flash of uncomfortableness flash through her cat-like eyes. "I cannot say. You have to find out on your own," she replied. She turned around and opened the door. "Magdalene? Thank you," I said. "'Tis nothing. Think nothing of it. Now sleep, the ointment I gave you is too strong to remain awake while it works, even for _you_," she replied and closed the door gently behind her.

Probably it was by her magic, but as soon as she went away, I felt my eyes drooping with weariness till sleep cloaked my head and I was off to Dreamland.

~Later on~

The first thing I noticed (apart from darkness since my eyes were closed) was whispered voices in my room. "Yes, quite shocking," someone said. I recognized the voice to be the one belonging to Joan. "I know, but she'd be glad. Trust me, I know," someone else replied, Emma.

"But he's her _fiancé_! How could she be delighted that he didn't stay here?" "Weren't you listening to me when Magdalene was here? There's another person, she doesn't _like_ Mr. Beckett." Emma replied. "You think she's cheating on him?" "No, I doubt it. He's out at sea," "You mean he's a pirate?" "Yes. Joan, don't repeat what I told you to anyone else. Beckett doesn't need to know, got it?"

"Don't worry, Emma. I'm just looking out for the girl myself as well. Now, that I get the picture, I hope that she finds a way to escape," Joan said. A door closed and someone shuffled around in my room. Sleep overcame me and, once again, I was dead to the world.

~Early in the morning~

I woke up when the sun's first rays were touching the cool sleepy port. I was quite astonished at myself; I had managed to sleep for a whole day and night. The bay window was slightly open, causing the curtain to billow softly in the morning Caribbean breeze. I drew in a shuddering breath, relishing in the feel of the cool sea-breeze against my nose, cheeks and lips.

I blinked my eyes; the room was bathed in a soft golden-rose light, casting everything in a different hue. I pushed myself in a sitting position, and immediately regretted it. A sharp pain reminded me of my stomach tenderness. If I drew in a deep breath, my lungs would start to burn and a dull throbbing had settled behind my eyeballs. I found it rather odd, that the sea's offerings would cause me such pain, considering I loved the sea so much. But there you are.

I refused to let myself feel weaker, so I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. A sane person wouldn't wake up at the crack of dawn, but I did. Maybe it was a sign of insanity? I don't know. Or maybe it was one of my sailor instincts. There wasn't much that I could do, so I decided to go sit at the window till Emma came to 'wake' me up.

The view was picturesque. The sea was a light blue colour with splashes of pink. The sky was a palette, ranging from soft pink to light red to golden orange to pale blue. Cotton clouds dotted the sky and a couple of ships were docked at the port, along with numerous boats. The wind billowed in, swirling my hair around my face. It was enough to bring back long lost memories.

"_My Little Siren_," my mother used to call me. I had always liked to sit at a window and watch the sun rise and set, with the wind ruffling my hair. I remembered my mother.

Her spiral-curled long hair was a fiery red and her eyes, as blue as the azure sea. Her skin was pale and soft. Her lips were full and pink in colour with a breath-taking heartwarming smile. Her figure was slender and on the short side. My mother was a true beauty.

However, I didn't inherit anything from her looks except her soft delicate face-features and slender frame. I wasn't very tall either. Just tall enough not to be short. I had inherited my other looks from my father; black wavy hair and dark eyes. My skin was considerably darker than my mother's however; I fell in the category of nicely tanned (dark olive skin).

As you know, I didn't know my father. And it was terribly hard for my mother to raise me as a single parent. So she found the easiest job. I don't mind admitting it, even though it makes me feel uncomfortable, my mother was a wench, a prostitute. She said that it was the only way she could keep taking care of me and bringing in money.

She had assured me that she had loved my father, even though he had left her with child (me) and an expensive dagger. My mother used to work only at night so during the day she'd be able to take care of me, not that I gave her the chance.

I was an unruly wild child, always running around and getting into trouble with Jack. Then at night, when my mother used to be '_at_ _work'_, I used to sleepover at Jack's, since his mother was my mother's best friend. Before you ask, no Jack's mother didn't have my mother's profession. Teague kept her well supplied with gold and riches. Mind you, they didn't have a large house or what not, just enough to be slightly better off than most families (including mine) and sometimes (when times were hard) they used to help us as well. After all Teague had to keep his crew happy or risk mutiny.

Then I remembered Jack's mother. Loretta was her name, Loretta Sparrow, hence Jack's name (and no she wasn't married to Teague, though they loved each other just as good as). She looked just as delicate as my mother. She had straight long golden yellow hair and sparkling green eyes. Her skin was slightly more tanned than my mother's, but she was still pale. I smiled a small smile.

I had never really thought about it, but both Jack and I looked a lot like our fathers. I hadn't noticed but the sun had covered quite a distance in her journey. As soon as I noticed this, Emma opened the door softly.

**Hope ya liked it, not much of a chapter, I know but I thought that I should give Pia a break since she was sick and all. Anyway, reviews are welcomed!**


	26. How to pass the time: Chapter 26

**Okie Dokie, here's the 26****th**** chapter for you. My thanks go to ****Salisha**** for the lovely long review, thanks a lot!**

**Reply to ****Salisha****:**

**Thanks a lot for the review. He he, Beckett in a pink apron, good one! And no Tia Dalma did not die in AWE (at least I don't think so). Anyway, in this fan-fic she's not dead, she's Calypso. And she's going to have a very important role later on. Jack will appear in the next chapter, promise. And thanks a lot, I really like writing descriptions and flash-backs. Hope you like this one!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.**

"You're already awake?" Emma asked surprised. "I've been awake since sunrise," I said as I got up from my chair by the window. "It's a sailor's instinct," I continued to calm her down. "So what did Lady I'm-nasty-and-stuck-up Amelia say?"I asked while Emma was dressing me up in a loose fitting cream-coloured dress.

"She said that you were faking it yesterday. You know, your reaction to the fish soup," she said softly. "She _what_?!" I exclaimed. "I know and I told her to stuff herself!" Emma said quickly. I turned towards her and raised an eyebrow. "You did?" I asked surprised. "Honest to God I did," she replied solemnly. I cracked a smile at her. "I wish I could've seen her face. No corset today?" I asked gleefully. "Nope, just padded stays for comfort." She said smiling. "Thanks Emma, you're a gem. Did she say what she's going to try and teach me today?" I asked as she brushed my hair.

"Music lesson," Emma replied and started to braid my hair. "Music? Oh, I love music!" I exclaimed, happy that at last I found something that I could do to pass the time in Beckett's house. "You can play the piano?" she asked. "_And_ the guitar _and_ sing, Jack's father taught us the guitar when we were kids. Jack never really got the hang of it," I replied, putting on a pair of house-slippers. We went down to the sitting-room, where Lady Prissy was waiting. "Emma, stay here, please," I pleaded. "The maid has a lot of chores to do," Lady Amelia butted in, with her awful nasal irritating voice. "You shut up. Please Emma?" I said, widening my eyes for, what I hoped for was, an innocent look. It seemed that it had the desired effect, because she nodded. I squealed and hugged. "You won't regret it, I promise," I whispered in her ear.

"I'll just go and get my embroidery," Emma said and hurried out of the room to the maid quarters. Lady Amelia rounded on me. "Why did you invite her to stay?" she demanded angrily. "Because she's one of my friends," I replied tartly. "Friends?" she asked as if the word itself was dragged from the depths of the sea. "Yes, a friend. You should try and find one." Just then, Emma strode in and, noticing the tension, she said "Maybe I should go?" "Oh nonsense! We were merely discussing the importance of friendship!" I exclaimed as I practically dragged her to the couch. I sat down beside her as Lady Amelia sat on an armchair.

"Today's lesson will be about-" "Music," I said, interrupting her. "Yes," she said a little miffed. "What exactly do you know concerning the arts of music?" I looked once at Emma, who was stitching away in a piece of cloth, and said "I can sing, play the piano and the guitar." "The guitar is a rather lowly instrument; therefore we'll stick with the piano and singing. Very well then, sing." I stood up and cleared my throat as I sent a mischievous look towards Emma, and started to sing.

"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest  
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum  
Drink and the devil had done for the rest  
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.  
The mate was fixed by the bosun's pike  
The bosun brained with a marlinspike  
And cookey's throat was marked belike  
It had been gripped by fingers ten;  
And there they lay, all good dead men  
Like break o'day in a boozing ken.  
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.

Fifteen men-"

"_Stop!_ Stop that shocking and dreadful song and sing a proper one!" Lady Amelia shrieked, interrupting me. A full blown smirk was plastered on my face by this point, and Emma was trying hard to hide her snicker behind her embroidery. I shrugged. "Alright," I said. I had another song in mind, less shocking but still painting pirates in a '_good'_ light.

"With a hi hi ho and a hi hi hey  
We're hoisting the flag to be free  
We will steal the show, Jolly Rogers go  
We are wolves of the sea

Don't try to run, it's all set and done  
There's a treasure inside  
We are robbing you blind  
I hope you don't mind  
We are taking it all tonight

Just walk away, we will conquer it all  
Pirates will stand and the loser will fall

With a hi hi ho and a hi hi hey  
We're bound to be close to the sea  
Our captain will stand on the bridge and sing:  
Pirates are all we can be

With a hi hi ho and a hi hi hey  
We're hoisting the flag to be free  
We will steal the show, Jolly Rogers go  
We are wolves of the sea

Down to the core, we're coming for more  
With a sword close at hand  
We are scary and bold, a chest full of gold  
We-"

"Stop! I've had enough of your awful songs!" "Hey, that was _my_ song!" I snapped at her, sure I don't pretend that everyone should like the song that I had made, but I pretended that at least she should respect me. "Your song? You composed it?" Emma asked, quietly. "Aye," I replied, puffing out my chest in a very Jack-like manner. "Anyway, enough of singing, we'll pass on to the piano next," Lady Amelia said as she shoved me towards the Grand Piano that I had missed a couple of days before. "You know, you're not a very good teacher," I mumbled at her as I nearly stumbled in my dress's numerous skirts.

My last remark only earned me a slap. I swiftly turned around and slapped her back without thinking. Everyone, meaning Emma and Lady Amelia, stilled in the room as Lady Amelia clutched her cheek. "Don't you _ever_ dare and touch me again," I hissed, my blood boiling with anger. Why couldn't anyone understand that I _didn't_ take lightly to slapping? I looked at Emma and she was looking at me in horror, as if I had been spitting poison, which probably I did, figuratively.

I bunched up my dress's skirts and strode over to the piano where I perched myself on the stool. I only took a few moments to calm myself down, Jack's face came in quite handy. "So, what shall I play?" I asked. "Hall of the Mountain King," Lady Amelia said quietly as she walked towards the other side of the piano unsurely. "Forgive me if my playing is a bit rusty, I haven't touched a piano in ten years," I said as I ran my hands over the cool keys, pressing a couple of them to just get the hang of it.

I paused, positioned my hands over the keys, and started to play. At first, my fingers were a bit stiff. But as soon as the old feeling of recognition spread in my fingers, music flowed like silk and I was lost in a world of my own. Key after key, music note after music note; '_Hall of the Mountain King_' was becoming alive before my very eyes, or should I say ears.

Emma's Point of View

She was brilliant; there was no other way to describe it. Sure she wasn't the best musician, but considering she spent ten years without _touching_ a piano and still being able to play like that…She played several tunes that Lady Amelia had instructed her to play. For once, Lady Amelia didn't find anything to complain about. And soon afterwards, she excused herself and went back to her house.

I was sitting in an armchair while Pia was still playing. She stopped and turned to look at me, "This is something I composed, tell me if you like it," she said, before starting to play another piece of music. (.com/watch?v=yWPOkAt2390&feature=response_watch).

Her fingers literally danced on the ivory keys. The piece she was playing was light but still slightly intense. It was joyful and carefree yet at the same time '_spoke'_ of a duty. It made me think of a playful swordfight, the sea, the wind, the sun and freedom. And unexpectedly, I felt a desire. A longing I never realized I had. I wanted to sail the seas. I wanted to feel what Pia experienced on a ship. I wanted, no _needed_, to taste freedom, to see the world. I wanted to do things because I wanted to. I wanted to feel what it was like to do _what_ I wanted, _because_ I wanted and _when_ I wanted.

I put down my needle-work and strode over to where Pia was playing the piano. The tune came to an end and she looked at me with an inquisitive expression. "I loved it," I said, answering her unanswered question. She smiled as she stood up and went to the door, heading to the garden (or most probably to the docks).

"Pia, wait," I said as I hurried over to her. "Teach me to be free," I whispered. Her expression turned to mistrustful. "How do I know you're not trying to trick me?" she said. "I'm not. I swear on the Code," I replied.

Her hand quickly closed around my wrist as she pulled me towards her. "How do you know of the Code?" she hissed angrily. A jolt of fear ran down my spine, I had came to consider Pia a friend. This woman, who was snarling and hissing in front of me wasn't her. "I-heard Beckett-speaking about it, how-important it was to-pirates." I stuttered. She kicked the door closed and released my arm. She sighed as she sat down on the arm chair and rubbed her temple in circles.

"Do you have any idea what you've just done? Do you know what happens if you betray me, even by mistake or if you're threatened?" I sat down on the settee. "What?" I whispered. She looked at me straight in the eyes. "If you betray me, I'd have to kill you," she said. "But, what if I'm threatened? I wouldn't be betraying you willingly." I said. "I know, but I have no other option. To swear on the Pirata Codex is like swearing on your mother's grave," she said. I shrugged. "Well then, that's good. Because I have no intention of breaking my oath." Pia looked at me with her mouth hanging wide open.

"You know, if I didn't know you, I'd swear that you're a pirate," she said. "I'm not!" I exclaimed shocked. Sure she wasn't bloodthirsty like other pirates, but I wasn't a pirate and my character wasn't like hers, and _that_ was dead certain. She chuckled. "Don't be so sure of that. Pirate's in your blood, I know it. Tell me your name." "You know that my name's Emma," I replied confused. _Why all this sudden interest in my name?_ "Your full name," she continued rolling her eyes.

"Emma Gibbs," "What?" "_Gibbs_, my surname's Gibbs," I continued. "That sly old dog, he never told me he had a daughter," she chuckled. "You know my father?" I questioned eagerly. I always wanted to know who my parents were. And since my mother died while giving birth to me, I had no other option except for my father. A gurgle of laughter escaped her throat. "Aye, I know ol' Joshamee Gibbs alright. Decent man, good pirate."

My blood ran cold as her last word rang in my ears. "Pirate?" the word escaped so quietly that I had to strain my ears to hear myself. However, Pia had no problems with hearing me. She took my hand and squeezed in a friendly manner. "Sometimes, people are driven to do the very thing they despise in order to survive." She whispered, her eyes dead serious. There was an uncomfortable silence as I tried to grasp the new information.

"So, you still want a taste of freedom?" Pia asked, breaking the silence. I looked at her and said one resolute, "Yes." She pulled me towards her with a firm yet gentle force. "Come to my room, at midnight. Bring me a worn three-cornered hat and a weapon. Dress comfortably and you would do well to bring a weapon for yourself." I nodded, wondering what was going through that extreme head of hers. "Oh, and bring some money would you?"

Pia's Point of View

The town clock struck midnight. However, Emma wasn't at my room. I really did hope that she hadn't handed me over to them. I didn't want to kill her, even though the Code obliged it (that if someone swears on the Pirata Codex and breaks it, they die). We, pirates, do have respect and honor, you know, even though society liked to suggest otherwise.

I had dressed myself in my usual pirate garb, brown pants, white shirt, red sash and brown boots. I had also wrapped a large piece of cloth around my chest tightly (breast-binding). Probably you're wondering why, and I don't blame you. Since I wasn't supposed to do…what I was about to do, I was going to disguise myself as a man, or a lad and take Emma to tavern by the cliffs, were pirates that found themselves in Port Royal spent their time. I knew it probably wouldn't work, but I had to give it a try, right? Otherwise my ego would've been wounded a bit too much, and we all know that pirates tended to have overly-large egos. I was no exception.

Half past midnight arrived, and Emma knocked twice on my door and let herself in. "Sorry I'm late, complications arose," she whispered. "Don't worry, did you bring everything I said?" I whispered. "Yeah, the hat, your weapon, my weapon and some money," she said as she pushed a dagger and a hand-me down black three-cornered hat, which was made of leather. "Good," I whispered as I bunched up my hair and put on the hat, hiding my long mane of black locks. I took the dagger and put it in the sash. "Sorry I only got so little money," she said with a touch of regret in her voice. "That's not a problem, what's your weapon?" "My weapon? Just a simple dagger?" she shrugged.

"What're we gonna do?" she continued. A slow grin worked its way on my face. "First, we're gonna climb down my bay window." I said as I opened the window. "We're going to climb down with the help of the bed-sheets, right?" she asked. "Dearie, that stuff belongs only in story-books. What are we going to tie the sheets to? The glass window? And you know that if we try to move the bed, we'd wake up the whole household. And _that_ wouldn't do. No," I said as I hauled myself out and gripped the ivy. "We're going to climb down by the help of this lovely ivy. And to answer your unasked question, no there's no one below us to look up your skirt," I continued, chuckling at her shocked look. "Come on, we don't have all night." And with that, I started my descent down the faithful ivy. "Where are we going?" she panted as she scrambled down. I was waiting for her on the ground, it was clear that she didn't do this type of exercise very often.

"We're going to a tavern that's near the cliffs. It's a pirate hide-out, so don't tell anyone of it," I said as we started our journey towards said cliffs. "What are we gonna do there?" she asked, slightly uneasy. It was easy to see that she was apprehensive. "Oh, nothing much. Have a drink, try our luck at the poker table or the dice, and see if I recognize a couple of faces. Have a good time, you know?" I said as we stopped at the nearly hidden tavern entrance. "Ah, here we are," and with that, I pulled her in the rowdy tavern.

The air was slightly hazy with the occupants' smoking. The tables were scattered as if a herd of elephants had rampaged around. Scarlet women were throwing themselves at men left right and centre. Several gunshots were being fired in the air, every now and then, glass-bottles were thrown, crashing against the wall or some poor soul's head, men were fighting and several others were passed out.

"This is madness!" Emma burst out, as she dodged a flying bottle. "No, this is freedom. You do what you want *I dodged a bottle* say what you want. And pay the price for it if you offend someone. So I suggest, you keep a sharp eye," I said as we started to walk.

" 'Ello there, lovely. 'Ow much for the night?" I turned at these words and found disgust written on Emma's face as a drunken toothless pirate leered at her."Eugh, no thank you," she said as she ripped her hand out of his grasp and followed me. "I'll pay ye, ye know," he said as he followed us. She squealed as he grabbed her behind and whirled around. At that moment, a bottle whizzed past my ear, so I caught it and handed it to her, who in turn smashed it on the pirate's head, knocking him unconscious. A chortle of laugh escaped my throat as we made our way to the poker table.

But our trouble wasn't over, however instead of Emma, this time the 'cause' of it was me. "Hey there young lad, would like some interesting company for the night?" A woman said in my ear. Judging from her seductive tone, I concluded that she was a wench. I turned to look at her, scrunching my nose in repulsion. Sure I wanted to disguise myself as a male, but I never intended to take it to that extreme. "I wouldn't dream of spendin' the night with you," I replied and continued walking away.

Thankfully, we made it to the poker table, where we spent our time playing. I also discovered that Emma was quite a skilled player. The result of which was that we won quite a nice amount of money. We were drinking rum while I was thinking about going back to Beckett's house when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar figure.

"I'll be back in a moment. If anyone bothers you, club them in the head," I told Emma (who had taken quite a quick liking to rum) as I got up and followed him. He had a shock a grey hair and was a little rounded in the stomach area. I tapped him on the shoulder and uttered one word; "Jonah?" He turned to look at me with a frown and muttered " 'Ow d'ye know me name lad?" A bark of laughter escaped my throat as I lifted my hat and shook my hair free. I put the hat back on my head, this time angled backwards so it didn't cover my face. "Last time I checked I was still a lass," I laughed. "Bless me soul! If it isn't me girl Pia! Last time I saw ye, ye were scurryin' around tha' scroundrel of Sparrow aboard the _Pearl_. What the blazes are ye don' on this bilge sodden rock?"he said all in one breath.

"Complications arose," I said shrugging and shook a finger at him before I continued, "Will be overcome. Come, you gotta meet a friend of mine." With that out of the way, I grabbed his sleeve and dragged him over to our table, where Emma was quarreling with the same woman who had tried to seduce me earlier.

"Bloody hell, woman! I'm not trying to steal your 'customers' if you can call them that! I'm no wench, if you haven't noticed!" Emma was saying as she threw her hands in the air as an exclamation of annoyance. "Then wha' the hell are you doing here?" "Having a drink with my friend." "I don't see anyone with you." I don't remember much of the rest of the argument, but the next thing I knew was that Emma and said wench were pulling and scratching at each other's face and hair. Long story short; Emma managed to scare her out of the way, without my help seeing as we were kept back by several other fights.

"Good fight." I commented as I sidled beside her on my chair. "Bloody wench, I'll tell her who's the whore," she grumbled as she wiped her split lip and gulped another mouthful of rum from her tankard. "Ye alright lass?" Jonah asked as he sat on another chair and put his rum bottle on the table. "I'm fine, thanks," Emma said, still slightly ill tempered. "So, Emma this is Jonah, a good friend of mine. Jonah, this is Emma, Emma Gibbs," I said, introducing them to each other.

"Ah, Miss Gibbs, I know yer father," Jonah said as they shook hands. "That's nice. Do happen to know where he is at the moment?" she asked politely. Jonah shrugged. "I dunno lass, hard ter tell. But me thinks he's on the _Pearl_, with Jack Sparrow." "_Captain_ Jack Sparrow," I said automatically, without realizing. "Aye, _Captain_ Sparrow, quite proud of 'is title isn' he?" "Captain Jack Sparrow? Isn't he the one you-" "Aye, aye he's the one," I said preventing her from blurting our 'heroic' escape. However, Jonah was no fool and his narrowed eyes proved proof enough that he was suspecting something.

"What?" I asked as I busied myself by drinking more rum and looking around for a distraction. A bright red coat and a feathered hat caught my attention. "What has said captain-" "Bless me eyes, it's Captain Teague out of Shipwreck Cove," I said interrupting him. "What? You mean the Code Keeper?" "Aye." I was about to get up and go over to him, when he spotted our odd trio and made his way over to us. He pulled a chair over to our table and sat down.

"Captain Teague, long time no see," I said. "Aye lass, been keeping watch over the Code. Haven't heard about you after Jones' death," he said as he motioned for the barmaid to bring him a mug of rum. I grimaced, I had '_forgot'_ to mention that small detail to Jonah. "Jones as in _Davy_ Jones?" Jonah asked. "Aye," Teague nodded as he took the tankard from the barmaid. Jonah turned to look at me with a sharp stern eye. '_Here we go_.'

"What's the meaning of this lass?"he asked, "I-well. I wanted revenge on a certain someone, and at the moment I happened to find myself marooned on a bare island. And you know the rest, he offered me help, as in taking me away from said island and helping me along with my plan, if I spent 100 in servitude aboard the Dutchman," I said in one breath. "And who is said certain someone, whom you wanted revenge on?" he asked. I winced as Teague chuckled, "My boy, Jack." Emma gasped quietly. "He's Jack Sparrow's father?" she whispered in my ear as I nodded.

"Do ye mean to tell me," Jonah started slowly, "That that-_miscreant_, was the one that hurt ye?" I grinned and nodded sheepishly. "And you didn't tell me?!" "I did! I told you his name was Jack, I just didn't say he was Sparrow. Anyway, enough of the past, who wants to play Blackjack?"

And we spent the rest of the evenings playing and drinking rum.

The days passed, one by one, and I spent my time in Lady Amelia's company during the day and at the tavern with Emma during the night, if Beckett wasn't home, which happened quite often. Beckett was given back his Lordship again. And the wedding was set in two months time. The days turned into weeks, the end of the month came and passed. And there was no sign of the _Black Pearl_ on the horizon. I checked everywhere I could imagine; the public docks, the docks used by the Royal Navy and the East India Trading Company, the cliffs and even the bays. But Captain Jack Sparrow or the _Black Pearl_ was nowhere to be found. And I began to loose hope.

**The first song was 'Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum' or 'The Derelict' and it doesn't belong to me. Neither does the second one, 'Wolves of the Sea' which was sung in the Eurovision 2008, representing Latvia. (Sorry I don't know the group's name). And no the person in the video is not me.**

**Anyway, this chapter was extra long to compensate for the long wait, (it took me quite some time to write, especially with that stupid writer's block). Stay tuned, for in the next chapter, our dearly beloved Captain Jack Sparrow will enter in the scenario. By the way, feel free to leave any reviews on the way out. Till next time then.**


	27. Reunion: Chapter 27

**Okie pokie, this is chapter 27 for ya, hope you like it! Here's the chapter where Jack makes his re-appearance. I would like to thank ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** and ****Salisha**** for the lovely reviews. Thanks a lot! I really appreaciate!**

**Reply to ****Salisha****:**

**Thanks a lot for the review. Yes, I'm going to try and write in her dialect sometime, but I can't promise that I'll succeed. And here's the chapter where the good *cough cough* Captain reappears. Hope you like it, I worked really hard on this one, especially Jack's little 'adventure' (but that one's in the next chapter).**

**Disclaimer: Sadly I still do not own POTC.**

I had pretty much given up hope that I'd get out of the engagement. Jack hadn't actually _promised_ that he'd come back for me. And there were other factors to consider such as; he was a pirate, therefore he was dishonest and there was the Code to remember. Besides, I had practically screamed in his face to keep to the Code.

It was the evening of the day before the marriage, and I found myself in that strange emotionless state. The sun was about to set, so Lady Amelia had already gone to her house. I had taken to sitting at my bay window in my ridiculously pink room, looking out at the sea. And that was what I was doing a day before my wedding, when Emma banged the door open and practically ran in my room.

Emma and I had gotten very close in the past two months and she became the sister I never had. "You know, doors exist for a reason," I muttered. "Pia, come with me, to the docks," she said. I looked at her and said "Why? So I'd remember what I would have lost by this time tomorrow?" "No, idiot. There's a ship!" this got my attention and I turned my head so sharply that my neck cricked. "What do you mean? What ship?" I questioned rubbing my neck. "There's no time!" she exclaimed as she grabbed my wrist and started pulling me out the door.

"Alright, alright, I'm moving!" I said as I snatched back my hand, grabbed my dress's numerous skirts, kicked off my shoes and ran down the stairs and out the front doors. Emma was right behind me, she had gotten quite fit in those two months. A feat anyone would've been proud of. My hair was drooping from the intricate bun that Emma had put it in earlier in the day, so I shook my head twice roughly and freed my black tresses. We arrived at the docks and a ship with black sails caught my attention. "_The Black Pearl_," the words escaped from my mouth without my noticing.

Jack's Point of View

We had just docked at Port Royal. In fact, the anchor had just made contact with the water, when a dark haired young woman came racing towards the docks, followed shortly by a blonde maid.

She reminded me of a fire nymph. Her dark hair was a mass of disheveled black curls, which looked oddly attractive on her. Her skin was darker than other women's but still too light to be considered a black person. Her dress was a dark red one with black flowers stitched at the hem and a string of black pearls rested delicately at the base of her neck. She was barefoot and her corset didn't appear to be as tightly laced as other women's. She was looking straight at the _Pearl_, as if she had already seen it before. She seemed oddly familiar, but recognition danced out of grasp.

"Who is that lovely young woman, Mr. Gibbs?" I muttered as my first mate looked at the object (or should I say person) of my line of vision. "If I'm not much mistaken, that be our own Miss Pia, Captain," he replied. And indeed she was.

Pia stepped one small step towards the _Pearl's_ gang-plank hesitantly and a couple of seconds later, a mass clad in dark red fabric hurled itself at me. My hands went around her waist tightly and I twirled her around, kissing her forehead. "I missed you," I whispered in her ear. "Likewise," she murmured back, before my lips descended on hers. God, how I missed her! How I missed those silky lips, her feathery black hair and her glittering dark eyes.

Pia's Point of View

I had stopped thinking when I saw the _Pearl_, and the next thing I knew was that I practically flew along the gang-plank and hurled myself into Jack's outstretched arms. His arms tightened around me, almost possessively and he spun me around as he kissed my forehead. "I missed you," he muttered. "Likewise," I replied, before he claimed my lips with a fierce yet gentle kiss.

We kissed again and again, refusing to believe that I was in his arms once again. Tears coursed down my cheeks as I realized that somehow or other, I'd be able to escape the wedding ordeal. "What took you so long?" I asked him. "A heathen goddess," he replied. I shook my head in exasperation. "Must you _always_ make unfriendly acquaintances with dangerous folks?" I sighed. He shrugged. "Trouble loves me so much," he replied. "When is the wedding taking place?" Jack asked. "Tomorrow morning. And where's that sly old sea dog of a first-mate of yours. I've got a bone to pick with him," I said as I got out of Jack's embrace. "What is it, love?" he questioned as I started to search for Gibbs on the deserted deck. It seemed as if the crew had vanished in their quarters as soon as they saw me.

"I found his daughter," I replied as I strode over to Gibbs, who appeared from the other side of the ship. "You never told me you had a daughter," I said as I stepped in front of him. "You never asked Miss. And anyway I'm never going to see her again, no reason to open old wounds," he replied. "Oh really? Then you should go and speak to that woman," I said as I tilted my head towards Emma. "Go on, shoo," Jack said as he shook his hands in a shooing manner at him. Gibbs looked at us with a raised eyebrow, shook his head as if to indicate defeat and walked down the gang-plank.

"This I gotta see, come on, love," Jack said as he dragged me over to the gunwale (railings). Emma and Mr. Gibbs were talking, when quite suddenly Emma exclaimed "_You're my father_?!" and then they were hugging each other like there was no tomorrow.

At this point I turned towards Jack and said "Do you find a problem if I bring Emma with me?" he frowned before murmuring "I don't need helpless wenches aboard me ship, even if-" "She's not helpless. I've been teaching her how to defend herself. She can fight with swords, shoot a pistol _and_ handle a knife pretty well. In a little time, I'd be able to teach her to work in the rigging and how to handle the sails. You know, the _Pearl_ could move much faster if you had two Master Riggers. Think about it, the _Black Pearl_, the fastest ship there's ever been," I said, goading him. His eyes got a dreamy look before he snapped out of it and said "Aye, but what if she's incapable of said duties?" "Well, she can help Nigzer quite well if that be the case, you know. Anyway, would you leave Gibbs' daughter at the mercy of Beckett, knowing he can use her to blackmail you and your crew?" I continued.

He shook his head. "We bring her with us then," he sighed. I hugged him and whispered "Thanks Jack. Now what are we going to do about tomorrow?" he smirked at my question. "Take your weapons and leave the plan to me," he said as he pushed a cloth bag with my sword, daggers and pistol in my hands. "You sure you can manage?" "Aye love." I sighed; there was no way of getting an ounce of information from him. "Then I have to go before Beckett realizes what I've done. I'll leave you to dig for information about the wedding, I don't have much time before he arrives back from work," I said as I turned around to walk down the gang plank.

"You're forgetin' something, love," he said as he grabbed my wrist and turned me back around. "What?" "This," and he pushed his lips on mine. I kissed him back with enough fervor to match his passion. "See you tomorrow, love" he said as he released me from his mind-blowing kiss.

**Hope you liked it, sorry that I posted the next chapter before this one. But now everything's' set and back on the right course. I'd appreciate if you leave some comments, and remember more comments=faster updates. Till next time folks!**


	28. Weirdest pirate i've ever met:Chapter 28

**Hola peeps! Here's chappie 28 for ya, hope you enjoy! My thanks go to ****HI****, ****FunnyLittleMe**** and ****Salisha****, thanks a lot for the wonderful reviews! They make my day!**

**Reply to ****HI****:**

**Thanks a lot for the review, I really appreciate! And I'm glad that you found my story to your liking, I really put in an effort in it. Thanks again!**

**Reply to ****Salisha****:**

**Thanks a lot for the review! Told you Jack would come back, and if our dear Captain is lurking nearby that must mean the **_**Pearl**_** is somewhere near, right? About Jack kissing Pia, they all say that separation makes the heart grow fonder, or however it's said. He **_**did**_** hold an intense liking to her, just was afraid to admit and unsure of how to show it (remember Magdalene's words). Anyway, thanks for the review! I hope you enjoy this chapter; this one has a funny side to it (well, at least in my opinion) ! **

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own POTC, I'm thinking of how to negotiate though, any ideas?**

The sun's first gentle rays hit my face and spilled on the pillow around my head. The first thing that I did was smile. That's right, a full-blown true genuine _smile_.

It was the day that I was going to be free again, who wouldn't smile. I admit, I had a hard time hiding my smile behind a morose mask. But after a couple of seconds of imaging myself married to Beckett, the smile slid off like water on a duck's back. I had a very hard time in keeping my face somber, but I'm proud to say I managed to do it.

Deciding to play it safe, I put on my breeches and sash, hung my sword and put my pistol and a couple of coins in the sash. Everything was supposed to be hidden under the wedding gown's hoop skirt. Emma helped me put on the dress, and I must admit, it was truly a piece art.

It was made of ivory Dupioni silk. The sleeves were puffed at the shoulders and tied around the biceps, puffed again and tied again just above the elbows. The cuffs were laced with dark-ivory lace, and they hid the daggers pretty well. It was beaded at the front and came to a point at the waist/hip area. And the skirts, full and rather large, fell graciously around my feet. (And let's not forget the corset!) A string of white pearls graced my neck, along with white pearl ear-rings and the engagement ring that Beckett had given me. My hair was curled and a small elegant bun was tied the back of my head and two small perfectly swirled curls framed my face. A pair of ivory coloured beaded silk slippers graced my feet.

My line of vision went to the mirror as Emma pinned the white veil to my hair with bobby pins. I was glad that my face, chest and arms weren't powdered for a pallid look, so my tan, obtained by countless hours in the sun, was in its full splendor. Emma sprayed a touch of lily scented perfume around my neck, hair and my whole body.

"You look very beautiful," Emma sighed as she adjusted her rose coloured dress. She was my maid of honor and, in case it escaped your 'notice', she was heavily armed, just like me.

You might ask, '_Where did_ _you obtain the weapons?_' Let's just say that we were very, ah successful at the tavern's cards and dice games and we managed to win quite some money as well (though how such fools wager their weapons is beyond me).

Anyway, we were walking down the aisle, with a lily-bouquet in my hands, when I caught sight of…an oddly dressed gentleman. No, scratch that. He was dressed normally, what I should have said was that his hair was odd, very much like a certain rogue pirate I knew. I looked once at his chocolate brown eyes and continued on my way to the altar. _Jack…_

Jack's Point of View

I had managed to get my hands on a pair of black knee-length breeches and white stockings, a black coat with gold trim and bead-work, matching vest, a shirt and a lace-neck wrap (which I was most grateful for since I didn't have to shave off my chin-braids). It was incredible quick how news of the newly re-appointed _Lord's_ marriage had travelled around. And naturally, I decided to attend the wedding ceremony, pretending to be a high-class lawyer who had just arrived from England.

I was still thinking about ways how to get Pia back to the _Pearl_, when everyone stood up and someone started to play a piece of music, signaling everyone that the bride had arrived. Naturally, my eyes fixed themselves on the woman that was walking slowly down the aisle, Pia.

She was dressed in an ivory coloured silk dress fit for a queen. The sun's rays fell in her eyes, making them glitter like a pair of black sapphires. A breeze ruffled slightly her perfect locks, making her hair look as if it was made from inky substance with a slight auburn touch. Her full pink-peach lips appeared to be made of rose petals. Her golden bronze skin gave the illusion of being made of a combination of silk and velvet. She looked so beautiful and exquisite that for a moment I thought she was an angel. No, scratch that a goddess who just descended from heaven to deliver either a blessing or a curse.

For a moment I forgot everything that I was supposed to do, as her eyes locked mine in her stare. And as quickly as she looked at me, she looked away. She walked up the altar to Beckett (who was grinning like a Cheshire cat) and as he took her hand, something in me snapped.

All I saw was red and I wished for nothing more than to rip him to shreds. I was insanely jealous, there's no other way to say it. The way he smirked when he took her slender hand made me want to-I don't know what I _wanted_ to do! All I know is that I felt this animal-like instinct to '_defend'_ her from his stare. As I looked at him, I recognized his stare, he was undressing her with his eyes, imagine what he would've done to her later on.

She belonged to me and I didn't share, especially with him.

I was practically growling, and needless to say, I earned a disapproving glance from the man beside me. "Stomach ache," I lied. "'Scuse me, I have to go," I said, pretending that the stomach ache just got worse.

In fact I was about to create a distraction. The first thing I did was walk out and circle the chapel. I walked in from the back and found myself walking in the vestry. What I failed to notice was that someone else was walking out of the vestry, and we ended up bumping into each other. The silver and golden goblets that the friar was carrying clanked and clinked as they fell to the ground.

"Blast you to hell and back!" he cursed as he picked up a broken goblet. "Nice one, mate," I said as I took off, once again, with the friar shouting and running after me. I don't know how I did it, but the next thing I knew was that I was racing up the bell-tower with half a dozen of friars running after me. The sun cast many shadows as it hit the walls and the bells.

_The bells… _

So the next thing I did, after remembering a certain '_adventure'_ on Isla Cruces, I jumped from the spiral staircase towards the bell-tower rope. I grinned at the friars as they stared in surprise while I made my way down, however just as I was about to touch the ground, another friar (a young one) copied my actions and grabbed the upper rope.

The church bell began to toll as I was hoisted back up, with the whole monastery as audience. Distraction accomplished.

Pia's Point of View

The ceremony had started and not five minutes had gone by when a lot of shouts and noises made their way to the church. Just then, the bells started to ring as if it was the end of the world. This was the distraction that I needed for me take off my engagement ring, slip it in Beckett's pocket and for me to hightail away from the chapel, followed closely by Emma.

I don't how I did it, but I managed to kick off my shoes, lift my skirts up to my waist and take out my pistol and a couple of coins; and increase my speed without stumbling once. We ran outside, where we found ourselves surrounded by Red-Coats. From the corner of my eye, I saw that Emma had taken out her weapons and was pointing her pistol at a Navy Man, who in turn was pointing his bayonet at her.

A small boy wheedled his way in the circle; however I didn't give him a chance to realize what was going before I grabbed him and hauled him towards me, pointing my pistol at his head. "I won't hurt you," I whispered in his ear as I pressed the coins in his small palm. He just nodded and stayed silent. "Remove that fire-arm from the boy, now!" one of the red coats shouted as he pointed his bayonet at me.

"Of course, that is if you let me and this lovely woman pass from here unscathed," I said as I nodded towards Emma. They just stood there and I cocked my pistol, signaling them to get a move on. As quick as lightning, they removed their bayonets and stood out of our way.

I nodded towards the Marine-free area, motioning Emma to hurry away and lowered my lips to the boy's ears. "Be careful," I whispered as I pushed him towards the gaggle of Navy Officers and dashed after Emma.

The next thing I saw was a carriage with a horse and a driver. So I grabbed Emma's arm and dragged her towards it. Emma quickly clambered in as I hauled myself up next to the driver. "Take us to the docks, quickly!" I said as pointed my pistol at his forehead. "But-" "_NOW_!" I roared.

It seemed as if the mad gleam in my eye, my frazzled hair and the steady pistol did their work as the next thing I knew; we were hurtling full speed towards the port. It seemed that holding a person at gun-point did wonders. Once we arrived, I quickly hauled my skirts to my waist grabbed a couple of coins and put them on the seat before I jumped on the wooden jetty and ran towards the _Pearl's_ gang-plank with Emma following suit.

"Where's Jack?" was the first thing that Gibbs asked. I shrugged. "I don't know, all I knew is that when I left he was in the-" I stopped as I saw Jack running helter—skelter towards the _Pearl_, waving his arms about the whole time, followed by what looked like the whole friary. "-belfry," I finished, gawking at Jack's _unusual_ pursuers.

"You owe us two golden goblets, three silver goblets and a bell! You broke them!" a friar was shouting. I raised an eye-brow and cocked my head to the side in bewilderment. Jack was running on the gang-plank when the _Pearl_ gave a shudder and started to move, causing the foot-way to plummet to sea followed by Jack.

I gasped as I looked over the rail, and to my astonishment, Jack was hanging on for dear life to the metal rungs embedded in the _Pearl's_ side. "Priests," he started as he climbed a couple of rungs. "And friars," he continued as he climbed another two. "You will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!" he exclaimed as he stood on the _Pearl's_ deck, much to the friars' dismay.

A couple of them were shaking their fists in fury and cursing him with a tongue that would make a sailor proud.

The words rolled off my tongue without my notice, "You've _got_ to be the weirdest pirate I've ever met, and that's saying something!"

**Hope ya liked it. Here's the link for anyone who wishes to see Pia's wedding dress **

**.com/il_430xN.**

**It's really beautiful. Anyway, I gotta go real quick. Feel free to leave a couple of reviews before you leave. Till next time then.**


	29. Lovers' fight or infantile?: Chapter 29

**Alright people so this is chapter 29 for ya. Hope you like it! I would love to thank ****FunnyLittleMe****, ****Salisha**** and ****SoftlySpokenHeart****. Thank you for your wonderful reviews!**

**Reply to Salisha:**

**Thanks a lot for the review! I'm really proud of Pia's escape; I had to edit at least two times to get it just right. The next adventure is coming soon, though it has to wait for some time. Thanks again for the review, and I hope you like this chapter as well!**

Emma stood next to me as Jack looked at me with an irritated gleam in his eye. "He's going to scold you, right?" Emma whispered. I nodded and just as he opened his mouth to start his rant, I spoke before him. "I'm going to give Emma some adequate clothes for life at sea," I said as I grabbed her hand (squeezed in warning) and hauled her in Jack's cabin.

"So, you need to learn a couple of other things apart from being able to defend yourself," I said as I started rummaging around in search of my clothes. "Such as?" she asked as she plopped herself in a chair.

"You won't be able to bathe aboard this ship, so you might want to try and keep yourself as clean as possible. You would do well if you took your food before the crew started to eat, seeing as they eat without the use of cutlery, if you know what I mean. Water can get slightly scarce at times, so it is vital that no water is wasted. Try not to get into an argument with Pintel and Ragetti, they bicker more than half the time. It may be some time till the crew gets used to your presence, so don't be offended if they avoid you like the plague. And for the love of God, _do not_ waste any rum, they're practically in love with the liquor." I said as I took a pair of black breeches, a white shirt and a green sash and handed them to her.

"Sorry, but I don't have boots that match," I said, however she just smirked and revealed her own black-boot clad feet, meaning that at the, now cancelled, wedding she was wearing boots all along, no wonder I had a hard job in keeping up with her.

A couple of minutes later, we were dressed in our pirate garments (Emma insisted that she keeps the corset on, whereas I put on my self-designed underwear) and striding out on deck. I had just closed the door when Jack's vexed voice said "You. In the cabin. Now," as he opened the door and pointed inside. I sighed as I walked in. "There be a lovers' fight approachin'," Gibbs said to Emma. I grimaced as I heard a couple of pirates chuckling in amusement.

"You know you've got a lot o' explainin' to do, love" Jack said, scowling all the time. I plopped on the bed and decided to play innocent. "I really have no idea what you're harping on," I said, which in a way was true. "Ha!" he snorted. "You were all comfortable, drinking sherry, eating chocolates and with Beckett fawning all over you while I was slaving me arse, trying to outwit a fuming goddess. Not only that, but probably you were laughing yer skinny lil' ass off and getting laid by that slimy old git!" he growled as he paced around the cabin.

Now, this was getting a bit too far. "Do you _honestly_ think I'd sleep with that-that pathetic excuse for a man?!" I exclaimed as I got up. "For your information, I told you to keep to the Code, but no! You had to go and prove yourself an exception!" I shouted. "Are you saying that I should've left you at that idiot's mercy?" "Don't try and turn this around to suit you Sparrow! I'm just warning you not to put the blame on me!" I exclaimed.

"Well, that still doesn't give you reason to kiss him and get comfy with 'im!" "I did _not_ kiss him, you bloody idiot! We rarely even spoke! You know, I should be the one getting angry. You were gallivanting around, having a high grand adventure while I had the air squeezed out of me by a bloody corset!" I shouted as I threw around my hands.

"You don't know what I went through!" "And you don't know what _I_ went through! Everyone thought I was some dunce and tried to teach me things I already knew or that didn't interest me! Or going to stupid boring dinners while foppish posers bragged around and flashed their narcissistic trophy wives!"

"That's it! I've had it!" Jack shouted as he turned around and strode out of the door. I took off one of my boots and threw it at him in anger, which hit him square in the back of his head, knocking off his hat. "That bloody hurt!" he exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head as he turned and started chasing me around.

Realizing what I had done, I dodged him and ran out of the cabin and up the rigging, followed closely by Jack (who had rid himself of the coat and neck wrap). "You sure this is a lovers' fight? Seems more like an infantile one to me," I heard Emma say. However, I didn't pay heed to her words and hauled myself up in the crow's nest. Only when Jack caught up with me, did I realize that I had backed myself in a corner.

"Don't you dare and come closer, Sparrow!" I hissed as I wagged a finger at him. "Or what?" he smirked as he threw himself at me, trying to catch me unawares. I squealed and wriggled and bit his hand. He yowled as my teeth closed on his index finger and, needless to say, he released me at once.

A chortle of laughter escaped my lips as I observed Jack nursing his finger sullenly. However, my laughter quickly changed to a squeal as he looked at me with furrowed eyebrows, causing me to scramble over the edge of the crow's nest. "Oh no, ye don't, you bloody minx," he growled as he grabbed my foot and pulled me back in. I screeched as I flailed comically and ended up landing on top of him (that is, after causing him to loose balance).

I grinned cheekily at him, kissed him and scurried away, this time I managed to get myself out of the crow's nest. Jack growled as he hurried after me, but he couldn't quite keep up with me, even though he was very fast in the rigging and on ropes. "That's _my_ boot!" I argued as I grabbed my boot from Pintel and Ragetti's hands, who were fooling around with it.

I put it on and ran full speed into Jack's cabin, slamming the door shut. However, the door cursed. "Bloody hell, woman!" Surprisingly it had Jack's voice, and after a quick analysation, I deduced that it was not the door who swore, but Jack. I grimaced and took a step back when the door opened to reveal Jack. He was holding his nose, trying to stop the bleeding and his eyes were watering in pain. Well what do you expect; I had just slammed the door in his nose, unintentionally.

"Err. Hi Captain," I said, trying, and failing, to look as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "Don't you dare and try to 'Hi Captain' me," he grumbled, searching for a handkerchief. I sighed. "Sit, I'll take care of it," I said as I pushed him lightly on the bed.

"No, no, no, don't lean back!" I said as I saw him leaning backwards. I took out a handkerchief from my pocket and sat down beside him. "Pinch your nose, no not there slightly lower, there. Hold it like that for some time," I said softly as I began wiping his nose and upper-lip from the blood gently. After a couple of seconds, the bleeding slowed and stopped. I removed his hand gently and wiped the spots that I had missed earlier, taking extra care not to apply too much pressure to his sore nose.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "What for?" he asked, confusion dancing in his eyes. "For everything, you know at Puerto Rico, shouting at you and slamming the door in your face. I shouldn't have done that, you were just lookin' out for me," I whispered. "Forget it lass. I shouldn't have said what I said back on that blasted island. I wasn't sure of meself, I just-lost control, somehow. You know, you have a tendency of doing that to me, love. Take for example when we were in the chapel. When Beckett gave you that look," at this point he broke off as he clenched his fist, his eyes hardened.

I placed my hand softly on his clenched fist, trying to calm him. Oddly enough, it did as his hand relaxed and took mine. He squeezed my hand affectionately and looked straight in my eyes. "I wanted nothing more than to shred 'im to tatters. It took everything in me to stay put and not blow me cover," he murmured as his hand brushed my cheek softly.

Just as I noticed how close to each other we were sitting, Jack closed the distance between us and placed his lips on mine softly, as if he was afraid that I might break. My lips responded back to his. The kiss started innocent enough, however it soon started to get heated and passionate, leaving us gasping for air. "Where does this leave us, Jack?" I whispered in his neck, as his arms tightened their hold around me. "I don't know, love. I don't know." He sighed.

"See? I told you t'is a lovers' fight!" Someone exclaimed outside the cabin door.

**That's all folks! Hope ya liked it. Feel free to leave a couple of reviews!**


	30. Benvenuto: Chapter 30

**So, this is chapter 30. I hope you like it people. My thanks go to ****FunnyLitttleMe****, ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** and ****Salisha****. Thanks for the wonderful reviews! They made my day!**

**Reply to ****Salisha****:**

**Thanks a lot for the review, and I'm delighted that you liked it so much! I hope you like this one as well.**

**Disclaimer: I know, I forgot to write the disclaimer in the previous chapter, I'm sorry! So I'll say it twice today to compensate! I do not own POTC, repeat DO NOT own POTC. : )**

Several weeks had passed since Jack's escape from Port Royal's friars and mine from Beckett's clutches, and once again we were on our trip to the Mediterranean. There were quite a few episodes that took place to, how should I say it, break the monotony of the day.

Emma, Elizabeth (who was still on the ship with us, and probably was going to remain) and I became quite close friends. Emma wasn't very adept at working in the rigging, so she resorted to helping Nigzer in the kitchen and swabbing the decks (though how she was happy with such duties was beyond me). Elizabeth's work was nicks and nacks, such as tying the cargo, sharpening knives, helping me repair any torn sails etc.

Another incident that left me rolling on deck in laughter was when Mr. Gibbs brought back aboard a black cat. I'll tell you what it was all about.

_We were about to start our journey from Puerto Rico to Bermuda, when Mr. Gibbs stumbled up to the forecastle deck, where Jack was looking out at the sea with his spy-glass. "Capt'n are we going to the dreaded Bermuda Triangle?" Gibbs had asked, as pale as death. I strode up beside him. "Aye, Mr. Gibbs. We're about to pay a visit right to the very heart of said Triangle," I said joyfully. _

_As these words left my mouth, Gibbs got even paler, if that was possible. "Jack it's frightfully bad luck to have a woman on board and we have three. Don't tempt the fates by sailing ter the Devil's Triangle," he said. Jack rolled his eyes. "Mr. Gibbs, have I ever given you reason not to trust me?" Jack said. Mr. Gibbs shrugged as if to say 'Not really.' "And no, we're not going to visit said Triangle, we're only going to pass along the edge of it," he continued and Mr. Gibbs paled once again. _

"_I need to go to shore," he muttered as he hurried away to the rope-ladder. "Don't take too long, or we'll leave with you," Jack shouted after him as I chuckled. "What are you laughing at?" he grumbled as he shut the spyglass and put it in his pocket. "He's gone to shore to bring back a black cat, mark my words," I said. Jack looked at me with a puzzled expression._

"_How do you know?" "Heard him mention it, as soon as he realized that the total amount of females was increasing, and I'll bet you anything you want that it'll be a male cat." I replied. Only a quarter of an hour had passed and we saw Gibbs coming towards the Pearl carrying a black cat and a basketful of (probably) fish. _

_However, the real laugh came when Gibbs was trying to climb the rope ladder, with the cat scratching him, trying to get to the fish (and let's not forget the expression on Jack's face!). I won't go into detail, but I'm just going to say that his ascent up the deck was successful, which resulted in me running to the other side of the ship as soon as the smell of fish hit my nostrils. "There ye go Tibbsy, a good ol' fish for a good ol' cat just like you," he cooed to the cat as if it were a child. _

_It worked out good in the end, because Mr. Tibbs (Mr. Gibbs named his cat ) enjoyed spending his time in the galley, holds and brigs. It seemed that he had discovered a whole colony of rats and mice. No wonder we were always short on food, regardless of how much we stocked. (That way Mr. Tibbs "earned his stay." Jack's words not mine.) _

_And so we set on our voyage on the edge of the dreaded Bermuda Triangle, with Gibbs slightly more at ease because of Mr. Tibbs._

And so we sailed from Puerto Rico to Bermuda and across the Atlantic. It was a very tough journey. And we had to battle through many storms and tempests, but I'm proud to say that we managed to pull through.

It took us months, but after Bermuda we reached Sao Miguel where we stocked up on our provisions and spent a week to let the crew catch their breath. Then we were off to Madeira and after Madeira we stopped at Tarifa. This Tarifa was a small port in Spain located in the middle of the Strait of Gibraltar.

The next islands that we stopped at were Alboran Island, Ibiza, Sardinia, Pantelleria, Linosa and finally our destination, Gozo, or as the legend called it Ogygia, where Calypso's cave was situated. (Technically we didn't make port at Gozo but at the main land, Malta).

During this journey, the relationship between Jack and I was a really awkward one. We liked to stay in each other's company, and sometimes we kissed. Oh alright, if you insist, we kissed, a lot.

On my part I was too afraid to reveal my feelings, but on Jack's part I knew not, though I admit, we did get a lot, and I mean _a lot_ closer to each other. Such as, my hammock was no longer in use, Jack had took pleasure in showing me how to guide _the Pearl_ and it wasn't uncommon for us to spend hours in the crow's nest, sometimes in silence savouring each other's presence.

But there was nothing official, you know? It's rather difficult to explain, it was like we were afraid to show our feelings yet we took it for granted that other cared.

Anyway, when we arrived, we didn't dock at Gozo, we decided that it would've been more prudent if we went to the main land and met the 'governor', though he was no governor. He was a Grandmaster, though his role was like a governor's.

"Jack, we should hoist the colours. You know, we're sailing in alien waters and it wouldn't be nice if we were attacked." I said. "Aye, the lass is right Cap'n," Gibbs said, agreeing with me. "Aye, you're right. Hoist the colours! We're nearing land!" Jack shouted the last, earning himself a round of cheers.

Jack's flag (skull and red sparrow on black) flapped proudly against the warm Mediterranean sun. However, as soon as we were nearing port, I saw the forts preparing for battle, all arranged with cannons, swords and what not." "Jack! They're preparing for battle! We should run a flag of truce!" I shouted from the crow's nest, as a cannon from the main fort went off in warning.

"Great, another anti-pirate town?" he muttered and then he said "But-" "We're not strong enough! Jack, these people defeated about 40, 000 men! We'd be blasted to smithereens and _the Pearl_ would sink to the bottom of the ocean!" I shouted. (Note: the event I'm talking about is true. It's called 'The Great Siege' and about 40,000 men were defeated by about 9,000; just so you know). I was panicking as another cannon went off. I admitted to myself, we were half-starved and not strong enough to fight them. And I reasoned that we should make them our allies instead of enemies.

"Run a flag of truce! And prepare the cannons! Come on men! Look lively, we should show 'em we're not afraid!" I sighed as I heard Jack shout the next command. His pride was going to be his down-fall. A white-flag quickly ran up after Jack's '_official'_ colours, however the gun-ports were left open as well. As soon as those on land saw the white flag, they stopped firing their cannons; however they still left their weapons aimed. "Let go the anchor and prepare the gangway! Bring your weapons!" Jack said as I swung down on deck.

"Mr. Gibbs?" "Aye, Sir?" Gibbs answered. "Lead the landing party. Leave a couple on board to guard the ship. I'll be coming soon. Pia, in me cabin," and with that, Jack strode in, or should I say swaggered, to his cabin. I looked at Gibbs with a surprised look on my face. "Can you really understand 'im sometimes lass?" he asked. "Not at all Mr. Gibbs, not at all," I sighed as I followed Jack to his cabin.

As soon as the door closed Jack pushed me against the wall and his lips kissed mine quickly. "Thought that you could feign that you were sleepin' last night, didn't you love?" he growled as he held my hands above my head. "I don't know what you mean," I said innocently. "Is that so?" he husked as he kissed my neck and pushed his groin to mine. I bit my lip to stop a moan from escaping as I closed my eyes and leaned my head backward. I didn't need anyone to tell me that Jack was smirking.

"Jack is this why you brought me here?" I groaned as his kissed inched downward. "Aye and possibly more," he husked as he pressed his lips to my ear-lobe. "You're not getting _that_," I whispered back. He groaned as he rested his head against the wall beside mine.

"Jack, we're exactly in front of your overly-large cabin windows and I'm not about to give a free show," I said. "What are you talkin' about, love?" he asked, confusion clouding his face. I sighed. "There are ships closing in on us from behind _the Pearl_," I said as I slipped from between him and the wall. As soon as Jack saw the ships closing our only exit, Gibbs burst in, no doubt searching for Jack.

"Cap'n, we can't understand what they're saying and they won't lower their weapons," he gasped, panting for breath. "Right then, off we go," Jack said as he slipped his arm around my waist and led me outside. We were walking down the gang-plank, when I had a good look at the local people and I was quite astonished at what I saw.

They looked, more or less, like pirates. All of them were men; some young, some old, some middle-aged but all men. They were dressed in simple breeches, a shirt and a sash. Most of them were bare-foot. They were wielding a variety of weapons; the most common being the sword.

As soon as we descended, a man who looked to be their leader advanced on Jack, speaking very fast in a foreign language that sounded very much like Arabic, just not quite. "You're not making any sense at all, mate," Jack shot out as said man stopped to take a deep breath.

He was about to start ranting again, when the sound of hooves beating against the ground announced the arrival of either a noble or a leader. The locals moved out of the way as a man wearing armour descended from his black horse. He had dark brown hair that was slightly wavy, dark glittering eyes and a slight tan. All in all he was quite handsome. He said something in yet another language, different from the locals' and Jack responded back.

"What did he say?" I asked. "He asked us where we're from," Jack replied. "What language is he speaking?" "Italian," he replied.

The man in the armour said something again and Jack responded. "What did he say this time?" I questioned curiously. "He asked us my and your name and told us to follow him," Jack said as we followed the aforementioned knight-like man, who was riding his horse in front of us.

Before following him, Jack turned to Gibbs and said "Mr. Gibbs, the Pearl's in your hands till either I or Pia comes back. Take half of the crew to guard me ship. Lizzie and Emma, if you'd be so kind as to stay on the ship." Just as Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest, he said "And don't do anything-stupid," fidgeting with his hands at the last word.

He turned to look at me with a slight frown and as he opened his mouth, I said "Don't even think about it. I'm coming with you," "But-" "You'd better shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you," I warned wagging my finger at him. "Oh, I'd like that. Pray tell, what's your method?" he said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. '_No need to ask him what he's thinking,_' I thought. "By breaking your teeth, and I don't kiss toothless men," I said. "I'll keep me mouth shut then, love," he whispered as we followed knight-man.

As we walked after him, I took a good look at my surroundings. We were walking under some city walls and the natural harbor was a great place where to dock ships during a storm and it was in a very good defending position (especially with the forts built) we came to a large wooden door and knight-man knocked three times, stopped and another two times. I realized that it was some sort of code as soon afterwards, I heard the heavy click of a large lock being unlocked and the door was pulled open.

I realized that we were walking into the island's Capital City from a side-door in the protective walls. The city was quite nice. The buildings were all in a straight line and the facades were decorated, in a style that I recognized to be Baroque. There was a statue (nearly all of them of a saint) with a lamp in front of it in every corner. However there were no gardens, at least none that I could see.

We arrived in front of a large regal building and knight-man said something. "Grandmasters' Palace," Jack said, answering my unasked question as we walked in. Knight-man stopped us as we arrived at a table and said something in Italian again.

Jack scowled at him as he removed his cutlass and pistol and put them on the table. He turned to me and said "You have to remove your weapons as well, love." I scowled at knight-man, who remained impassive, and put my sword, my white pistol, the pistol I had won in card game at Port Royal and the two daggers. However, I did not remove my boot dagger. Knight-man said something again and Jack turned to the crew men that had come with us.

"Gentlemen, make yourselves comfortable. We won't be gone for too long, hopefully," he said as they sat on some couches that I had failed to notice earlier. Jack's hand snaked around my waist once again as we followed knight-man.

He led us to a small comfortable room. There were a couple of couches, a table with a vase of flowers in the middle (which turned out to be dried), several portrait paintings of noble-looking men with white wigs and a couple of suit of armours standing against the wall.

The grandest and largest painting was of a black haired man, with a whitening beard who was wearing a red tunic like shirt with a white cross and yellowy-brown leggings. He was holding a helmet with a couple of large plush feathers sticking out of the back. Several other men, who were dressed like the main one, were behind him and on the ground in the background. It appeared to be a scene out of a battle field.

I sighed as I sat beside Jack. "What's going on Jack?" I asked as I drummed my fingers on my thigh. "We're about to meet their demagogue, the Grandmaster Gregorio Carafa Rocella, referred to as Grandmaster Carafa or just Carafa," he replied.

I nodded as I said "And who was our beloved escort who decided to abandon us in an unfamiliar place, weaponless?" "All I know is that he's a knight, his name's Antonio and he's the head of the Italian brethren. And why so worried that we're alone, darlin'? I find your company rather enjoyable," he whispered as he tightened his arm around me.

I hadn't noticed but while he was talking, he had moved in a way that I was trapped between the couch's arm and his body. His smirk widened as realization dawned on me. "Pirate," I muttered as the end of my lips twitched in amusement. "Right to the bone, love," he whispered as his lips sealed mine.

Moments later, Jack was leaning me over the couch's edge one of his hand around my waist the other behind my head as my arms were wrapped around his neck. A cough brought us back to reality and we quickly broke away from each other. I was sure that my face was on fire; however Jack was as cool as a cucumber.

Standing in the door-way was a man dressed in a black tunic with an eight point cross. He was also wearing a large strange black hat and a white wig (though it wasn't like the nobles' back in the Caribbean). Jack stood up and removed his hat from his head and bowed with a lot of hand flourishes. He looked back at me and motioned me to do the same. So I got up bent my right hand to my waist, inclined my head slightly to the side and bent from the waist forward.

Jack and I sat on the couch that we were '_sitting'_ on before this man arrived. He, who I presumed was Carafa, sat on the armchair in front of us. Jack and Carafa started discussing something in very fast Italian and, needless to say, I lost track of what they were saying. Not that I knew what they were saying anyway. Obviously, I was bored out of my mind. I noticed that Antonio and another Knight (who might I say was just as handsome as Antonio) were keeping guard at the door.

Jack nudged my ribs and I looked at him. "Pia? He's talking to you," Jack whispered. "What did he say?" I asked. I hadn't even realized that they had finished their discussion. "He asked you your name," Jack replied. I turned to look at Carafa, smiled and said "Pia Sterlin," while pointing a finger at myself. He smiled a tired old smile. "Gregorio Carafa Rocella," he said in an Italian accent, while pointing to himself.

I nodded my head in understanding. He said something again and I looked at Jack waiting for the translation. "He asked you why you came on a ship, since it's not proper for a lady to travel for pleasure." "Tell him that I'm a pirate, that the sea's my home." I replied and Jack translated my words. Carafa looked at me strangely, then smiled and said "Benvenuto Signorina Sterlin."

This time I understood him, he was welcoming me. To his island I guess. I scrunched my face, trying to remember the two Italian words that I knew.

"Grazie, Signor Carafa," I said slowly, stumbling on my own words as his smile widened.

**Alright, I know this was an extra long chapter and that it was a filler, but bear with me. We'll have action again, sooner than you think (but it's not in the next chapter). And I don't know much Italian, so excuse any mistakes that I may have made. Leave a couple of reviews, they make my day! Till next time then, peeps!**


	31. Why did you leave?: Chapter 31

**Ok people, this is chapter 31. My thanks go to my wonderful reviewers ****FunnyLittleMe****, ****lordofthebreakdance****, ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** and ****Salisha**** for their wonderful reviews. Thanks a lot! **

**Reply to ****Salisha****:**

**Thanks a lot for the review! I'm glad you liked chapter 30 so much, I hope you enjoy this one as well!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.**

"Tell me again, why do I have to wear a skirt?" I asked Jack as we made our way to a tavern. Fortunately a local retired pirate spoke English. It seemed he had sailed to the Caribbean twenty six years earlier where he learned English. Or so he said.

This same ex-pirate, George (Ġorġ in their language), had shown Jack the way to the tavern we were heading to. Jack sighed as he replied the reason he had been saying for the last ten minutes. "Because, you'll offend the locals if you wear pants, love." I huffed.

"But I don't like skirts," I whined. I was dressed in a shirt, boots (both of which belonged to me) and a long blue ankle-length skirt that George had acquired for me. I had insisted on my red sash so I could hide my pistols in it. I had also brought along my sword (which was in its scabbard under my skirt) and my daggers. And let me tell you one thing, wearing your sword under your skirt hitting against your legs without anything in between, example a pant leg, is very, very uncomfortable.

"Ah, but I like skirts, love" Jack said, breaking my train of thought. "Makes things a lot more easier," he continued as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Jack Sparrow! Are you hinting something?" I said, feigning a scandalized look. "Me? Of course, darlin'!" he replied with a tone that would make another person who didn't know him thinking he had said the opposite.

"Ah, here we are," and with that we entered the tavern. I know what you're imagining; probably you're thinking of a Tortuga-style tavern. But it was not, for several reasons.

There were no gunshots being fired in the air, no whores throwing themselves at the men, there were no fights going on and it wasn't as noisy as Tortugan taverns. (You might think that it was quiet by the description I gave, however it had a cheery jolly atmosphere in a friendly way and the people, or should I say men, appeared to be having a good time). However the greatest difference was that there was no one, and I mean no one, drinking rum. All of them were drinking wine.

The expression on Jack's face was that of a kicked puppy. "No rum?" he whimpered. Everyone was looking curiously at us, especially at me. Summing up the situation, I concluded that women rarely frequented taverns. I looked once again at Jack, to see him scowling at everyone as his hand slipped around my waist and tightened possessively.

I rolled my eyes as I led Jack to the bar. "Do you have rum?" I asked the bar man. He looked at me and after a few moments of consideration said "Għala trid ir-ram?" (pronounced as rum). (Translation: Why do you want copper?) "What's he saying Jack?" I asked. "I have absolutely no idea, love," he replied. "Ġibilhom ftit rum." (pronounced as room) (Translation: Get them some rum) a voice said from behind us.

I looked behind us and saw George enter the tavern, followed by most of the Black Pearl's crew. Did I tell you that he was our guide on the island, so to speak? A look of realization dawned on the bar man's face as he shouted for another man and they hurried to an inside room. The crew went to the other unoccupied side of the room as Jack, George, Mr. Gibbs and I sat at a table for us.

The bar-men came out, rolling a barrel with them. "Is that rum?" Jack asked excitedly. George nodded. "Then tell 'em I'll buy it all," Jack continued. The bar-men shook their heads as George translated Jack's request. Jack got up from his chair and started searching in his pockets. He pulled out a small leather pouch and from inside it took out a gold ring with a large ruby and an expensive bracelet encrusted with small gems.

Jack pointed to the barrel of rum and pushed his hand forward, showing the bar-men the jewels while hiding them from the rest of the men. The look of awe and shock on their faces was so funny that I had a hard time concealing my laughter.

Needless to say, the barrel ended up belonging to Jack.

I had drunk several mugs of rum, and my head was starting to feel a little too light for comfort. So I decided to slow down. I had taken out the ivory-handled dagger and a piece of cloth and was cleaning it as Jack, George and Mr. Gibbs were talking and telling stories. Typical males.

George was telling about his experiences about when he had sailed to Caribbean. "Twenty-six years ago, I sailed to the Caribbean. There I met a red-haired beauty. She was the prettiest woman I ever saw. Martha Sterlin was her name."

I looked up sharply as I heard my mother's name being mentioned. "She was with child when I had to leave. I left her a dagger as a gift," George said as he drunk half his rum. "Pretty thing it was too. Told her to give it to the child. I wish I knew what happened to Martha." He sighed. "She died, fourteen years ago," I said quietly. Our table was now quiet. Jack had realized what the situation was once he heard my mother's name and Mr. Gibbs when he heard my mother's last name. And they were oddly silent.

"Oh," was George's only reply. I gripped my dagger tightly. "Tell me more about this dagger," I said as I slipped my arm over it inconspicuously, hiding it from view. "Aye, of course. It had an ivory handle with gold fittings and a gray blade with engravings on it. it was very expensive, and very sharp. T'was a gift from my mother," he said.

"Did it look similar to this?" I asked as I took out the dagger from under my hand. A sharp intake of breath confirmed my suspicions. "Where did you get that?" he asked quietly. "A gift. My mother said my father left it for me before he sailed away. My mother was Martha Sterlin, and my name is Pia Sterlin," I replied quietly. He remained silent.

"Why did you leave?" He looked at me, uneasiness creeping on his face. He took a shuddering breath and started to speak. "Your mother and I had an intense relationship. But it was a short one. A month, two at the most. We were preparing to start our journey back to the Mediterranean when she told me she was with child. I couldn't do anything," he said.

"Why didn't you take her with you? Or why didn't you stay with her?" I said. "I couldn't stay with her, I was the Captain. And I was already married, to another woman," he replied. He took my hand and squeezed in, what he thought was an affectionate manner. And it would've been, had the situation been different. "Pia, your mother was a wonderful person and I liked her, I really did. But I didn't love her. I might have, if I had spent more time with her, but I already had a wife," he continued softly.

I nodded my head. I took my hand from his and stood up. "I'll be on the Pearl," I said, my voice breaking on the last word, and I hurried outside. The tavern was on the side of the harbor. So I had to walk around to the other side to reach the Pearl.

Elizabeth was keeping watch. "Pia?" she said as caught sight of me hurrying towards Jack's cabin. "Don't disturb me," I said as I slammed the door behind me. I didn't know how I was supposed to react. I didn't know if I should've cried, been angry, happy or indifferent.

Someone knocked on the door softly. "I said don't disturb me!" I snapped as I changed into my night-shirt. "I'm not Lizzie, love," Jack said as he opened the door and put his head in tentatively, as if expecting someone to bite it off.

"Is it safe to come inside?" he joked as he closed the door behind him. "Very funny," I snorted and sat at the window, observing the scene in front of me. The crescent moon hung in the sky amidst the stars, illuminating the sea and the port. "You all right, love?" Jack asked as he came behind me. "I don't know Jack. I just don't know," I sighed.

He slid his hands around my waist from behind and put his head on my shoulder and said "If you need to talk, love, I'm listening." "I don't know how I should react. Should I be indifferent about all of this? Happy that I found my father? Or angry because he used my mother? Should I cry because what I really am is a mistake?" I said. "Don't, ever think that. You're not a mistake darlin'," Jack said sharply. I chuckled darkly.

"Of course I am. My father was already married and didn't love my mother who probably didn't even know about his wife. I'm just a complication that arose from an affair, Jack," I said. He shrugged. "Well if you put it that way. I tend to see it from another perspective, love. Your father left you a dagger, to track him down. He wanted to meet you and get to know you. Your mother gave, said dagger, to you herself, meaning she wanted you to accept him. Besides, if he decided to take your mother away, we'd've never met and me mother's cat would've never founf himself shorn free of his fur."

I giggled at the memory, trying to hold back my laughter. Jack had an unspoken sworn animosity against cats since forever. "Come on lass, you should meet ol' Georgie tomorrow. He's not a bad sort," he said.

I sighed. "I'm not gonna win this one, am I?" "Nope he replied, popping the 'p' and smiling triumphantly.

**That's all folks. Hope ya liked it. Leave a couple a reviews, they're quite welcome. Besides they make me happy, and a happy author means better and faster updates. Till next time then : )!**


	32. Meeting the rest of the familyChapter 32

**Hey people, sorry I took so long, but I've been really busy. So here's chapter 32. Hope you like it. My thanks go to ****lordofthebreakdance****, ****FunnyLittleMe**** and ****SoftlySpokenHeart****. Thanks a lot, I really appreciate!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own POTC.**

"So uhh, this is my daughter Monika and this is my son Manuel," George said as he indicated a 28 year old man and a twenty year old woman. Manuel was a tall attractive man (Note: I imagined him like Ben Barnes). He was paler than Monika and me, his eyes were a dark brown, like mine, and his hair a slightly lighter colour than mine. Monika, on the other hand looked so much like me that we could've been mistaken for twins. Her hair colour was like mine, though her curls weren't as thick as mine. Her skin colour was identical to mine and she was slightly taller than me. Her eyes were a beautiful olive green not brown like her-_our_ brother and mine.

George, I mean father, had thought them how to speak English, so we had no problem conversing. "You must be Pia," Manuel said. "The one and only," I said. "Father told us so much about you yesterday," he said as he shook my hand. I stuck my hand towards Monika, wanting to shake her hand. However, she looked at it like it was a dead cockroach and crossed her arms on her chest. I raised an eyebrow and took my hand back, copying her and crossing my arms. "You're wearing pants," she said disgust evident in her voice. "And you're wearing a skirt," I said, with the same amount of disgust. "Are you one of those damsels that needs saving all the time?" I continued. "No, and are you one of those women who fancy themselves as men?" she said. "Not really. I'm a woman that saves my own hide if the need arise. And anyway, how would you expect me to work in a skirt on a ship?" I said. "And why would you work on a ship full of men?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because I have to feed myself, I don't have anyone providing money for me. Frankly, I don't have anything in the world except the clothes on my back," I replied. "Monika," father warned.

She harrumphed, stuck her nose in the air and marched back in her house. "I'm sorry about her rudeness, she didn't take the news too well," Manuel said. "Don't worry about it. I'm used to it," I said. "Manuel, can you take care of them and show them around, I've gotta go feed the pigs," father said. "Yes, dad," Manuel replied. Dad smiled at us and strode away, leaving Jack and me with Manuel.

Their house was situated further in the island, nowhere near the sea. There were a couple of fields, a small farm with a couple of pigs, sheep, hens and a cow and their rather large house. "So, what you say to meeting your sister-in-law, nephew and niece?" Manuel said. "You're married?" I asked as we followed him to the house. "Sure. My wife's name is Maria. The kids name is Lisa and Jacob, we call him Jack," he said. Jack chuckled, "One o'the best names, mate," he said as he lead us inside their courtyard. Manuel chuckled and replied "Of course, Captain Jack. By the way, I thought all of them English, so there should be no problem in conversing."

In the courtyard, a young woman with lovely black hair and glittering blue eyes was washing the clothes in a tub and singing a lullaby to herself. Manuel walked over to her. She stopped her singing as she heard his footsteps and smiled as she recognized him. "I've brought someone to meet you," he said after kissing her. It was only then that she noticed us. "Bless my eyes, you must be the lost sister!" she exclaimed as she wiped her hands on her apron and hurried over to us. She hugged me, and I (feeling rather awkward) hugged her back. "I'm Maria, you must Pia," she said and then turned to Jack. "Who are you?" she asked. "Captain Jack Sparrow, at your service, love," he said as he removed his hat and bowed while placing a kiss on her knuckles. Manuel coughed and one look at him was enough to discover that he was scowling at Jack. "Quiet, Manuel, he didn't do anything. Come on, you must be hungry, let's give you something to eat," she said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me along, with Jack following us.

"Jacob! Lisa! Where are you? Aunty Pia is here!" she shouted as she pushed us in a chair. She hurried over to the shelves, grabbed a bottle and a couple of glasses and poured some of the bottle's contents in the glasses. Just then, two little angels ran into, what I supposed was, the kitchen. They were playing tag, it seemed, and were laughing at along at some private joke. "Here," Maria said as she pushed the glasses of wine in our hands. Needless to say, Jack drank half of his in a blink. "This is good wine," he commented, savouring the after-taste. However, my attention was not on the wine or Jack, it was still captivated by the children.

They were two little cherubs, a boy and a girl, five or six years old, probably fraternal twins. The boy looked like a mix between his father and mother. He had his father's wavy chocolaty brown hair and his mother's glittering blue eyes. However, the girl looked so much like Monika and me, it was unnatural. If I were to take her with me, one would say that she was my daughter. I concluded that they were Lisa and Jacob. As soon as they saw Jack and me, they quieted down and observed us with their big innocent eyes. "This is Aunty Pia, the one I told you about this morning," Maria said. "Be polite and say hello." "Hello Aunty Pia," they chorused. I drank half the wine, put the glass on the table and got on my knees instead of the chair, so that I'd be at their level.

"Hello," I said. "My name's Pia. What's yours?" "I'm Lisa," piped up the girl and the boy said "And I'm Jack." "No, you're not! Your name's Jacob!" Lisa exclaimed as she pushed him. "But Jack is my name too!" he retorted quickly and pushed her back. Maria sighed and ran a hand through her dark hair. "If you stop fighting," I started quickly. "I'll give you a gift each," I continued as I took two small parcels from my pocket. "This is for you and this for you," I said as, handing one to each. I smiled, watching their eager faces as they tore at the string. I had given Lisa a pair of white-pearl earrings and Jacob a sapphire ring. To be completely honest, I didn't even know I was supposed to meet them, but I liked carrying around a couple of jewels, just in case, and, well, they came in handy. "Wow! Look mama, they're so pretty!" Lisa exclaimed as she turned to her mother, eyes as round as coins in wonder. "Look mama! It's so blue!" Jacob said as he put on the ring on his thumb. "Yes, dearie. Now what should you say?" Maria said as she took the jewels to put them in a safe place. "Thank you!" they squealed as they launched themselves at me, hugging me as if I was about to disappear. I laughed as I wrapped my arms around them.

"Would you mind if left them with you for some time? I've got a lot of house-work to do," Maria said as the kids disengaged themselves. "Not at all," Jack replied as Maria hurried out to courtyard to her washing. Jacob turned to Jack and pulled at his coat. "Who are you?" he asked, frowning. "Captain Jack Sparrow at your service, lad," Jack replied as he sat Indian style beside me. Jack's reply caused Jacob to deepen his scowl.

"No, you're not. _I'm_ Jack," he said as he crossed his arms and puffed his chest. Jack glared at him playfully. "No, you're not. You're Jacob and I'm Jack," Jack replied. "You stole _my_ name!" Jacob shouted, pointing a small finger at Jack. "Did _not_!" Jack replied affronted. "Did _to_!" "Did not!" "Did too! "Did not!" "Did too!" "Did too!" "Did not!" "You see! You're agreeing with me as well!" Jack said triumphantly. "You cheated," Jacob accused. "Pirate," Jack replied, smirking victoriously.

Jacob stuck out his tongue at Jack and said "Aunty Pia is prettier than you, Uncle Jack." And with that he hugged me again. I laughed again for several reasons. One for Jack's childish antics, and two for Jack's stumped expression when Jacob called him '_Uncle_ _Jack'_. Lisa had situated herself in Jack's lap and was staring at his beaded hair in fascination. "What is this, Uncle Jack?" she asked as she touched lightly the shin-bone in his hair. "That, lass, is a bone with magical powers…" he said. "Come on, this is going to be an interesting story," I whispered to Jacob as I turned to listen to Jack's story for the hundredth time.

~Sometime later~

"And then, they made me their chief." Jack said, finishing his fifth story. "Why did they want to eat you, Uncle Jack?" Jacob asked his eyes wide in wonder. "You see, they thought I was their god in human form. And, according to them, that was their highest form of worship and respect," Jack replied. "Ew! But that's just gross!" Lisa exclaimed, scrunching her face in disgust. "I know, lass, but that's what they think," Jack replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"I wanna ride my pony!" Jacob exclaimed out of the blue. Lisa jumped out of Jack's lap and grabbed his hand. "Yes, come on! Let's go riding!" she exclaimed, pulling and tugging at his hand. Jacob did the same to me and in a matter of seconds we found ourselves in their small farm.

"Daddy, daddy! We wanna take Uncle Jack and Aunty Pia riding," Jacob and Lisa whined to Manuel and Geo-, I mean dad. "Woah, easy lad! We don't know one thing about riding," Jack said, stopping Jacob from his excited outburst. "Then I'll teach Aunty Pia on my pony, please dad!" Jacob pleaded. "And I wanna teach Uncle Jack how to ride!" Lisa continued. Dad looked at me then at Jack as he heard Lisa refer to Jack as 'Uncle'. I shrugged. '_There wasn't anything we could do_,' I wanted to say. And he seemed to understand me.

Manuel was looking at his children in thought. He looked at us and said "Are you sure?" I opened my mouth to deny their offer, as politely as I could. However Jacob beat me to it as he grabbed my hand and tugged softly at it. "_Please_, Aunty Pia, _please_," he begged, his eyes wide. I realized that I was getting the famous puppy-dog eyes treatment. And, true to the rumour, the denial died in my throat and I heard myself say, "Well, we could always try."

Moments later, I found myself on the back of a horse. Don't ask me what race or type he was; I only recognized the fact that he was a large heavy draught one. And let me get this straight, facing Davy Jones was a lot, and I mean _a lot_, less scary. "Don't worry about old Dafti (pronounced as Dafty). He's big but gentle," father said, patting Dafti's dark brown rump. "I hope," I squeaked. I was already regretting my decision.

"Alright, remember the instructions?" dad asked. I nodded my head, feeling like a parading dog. "Try trotting Dafti around, Aunty," Jacob said. I dug my heels in Dafti's flanks and Dafti took off galloping at full speed towards the approaching fence. I screeched, discarded the reins and wrapped my arms around the horse's neck while pressing my heels further, spurring the horse on unintentionally. Just as we were about to crash head-on in the fence, Dafti stopped, springing me from his back and over the fence. I shrieked as I flew a perfect arc, before landing in a pile of hay.

I know what the stories say, that you wouldn't get hurt blah blah blah. And technically, I didn't get hurt. However it was far from enjoyable and this was owed to the fact that hay was not bouncy. I didn't need to look to discover that Jack, dad and Manuel were gawking at me and Lisa and Jacob laughing. However, apart from the kid's laughter, there was also a woman's laughter added in to the combination. It wasn't Maria's, so it only belonged to Monika. "Monika, shut up, before I decide to use you for target practice," I groaned as I let my head fall back in the hay. However, her cruel laughter continued without paying heed to my idle threat.

I stood up, popping my back and groaning, while trying to rid my hair of the hay. "You alright, love?" Jack asked, helping me up, while trying to hide a smile. "Apart from the fact that I feel like a horse trotted on my back, I'm fine. And don't you laugh at me!" I snapped. Jack let a chortle of laughter escape. "You have to admit though, it _was_ kinda comical," he said. I huffed as we walked to the paddock were the rest of my family (you've no idea how odd it felt thinking it) were waiting for us.

"That was fun! Let's do it again!" Jacob exclaimed. "No," I said firmly. "_Please_?" he begged widening his eyes. I looked away from them and said "No, you do it if you want to. And don't look at me like that, I'm not going to fall for it again," I warned. "Spoilsport," Jacob pouted. Then he turned to Jack and said, with a very friendly smile and hopeful eyes might I add, "But you'll do it, won't you Uncle Jack?" " 'M not sure 'bout that lad. Tell you what though; I'll take both you and your sister for a ride on me _Pearl_ if we forget about the riding lesson." Jack replied, with a charming convincing grin. "The _Black Pearl_? The one from the stories? Your ship?" Jacob asked excitedly. "Aye, lad," Jack replied nodding his head. "When can we go?" Jacob asked.

'_Why didn't I think about that?_' I thought to myself as I saw Jack's triumphant smile.

**Hope you enjoyed it. Leave a couple of reviews before you leave. Thanks!**


	33. A Dance and Kisses: Chapter 33

**Okie Pokie, sorry for the long wait people, but I've been super duper busy. (In fact I shouldn't be here right now, but anyway). I'd like to thank my reviewers ****FunnyLittleMe**** and ****SoftlySpokenHeart****. Thanks a lot! I really appreciate! Your reviews made my day!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC *sniffs*.**

My father made us, meaning Jack and me, accept their offer to sleep at their house instead of on the _Pearl_. It also happened to be the 28th of June, meaning that they (the rest of my family) were going to go out feasting. Maybe I should explain more.

The next day, the locals were going to be celebrating the feast of St Peter and St Paul, meaning there was going to be a fair (farm animals and crops) in the morning and horse racing in the afternoon (on the 29th). And the previous (the 28th) night there was going to be singing, dancing, music and rabbit stew at a small woodland.

Naturally, my father made it his mission to show me more about my '_heritage'_, so that evening I was going to be dragged to the woodland. Needless to say, I made Jack come along. I was, once again, wearing a white shirt, a dark green skirt, my boots and my faithful red sash hiding my two pistols. Jack was in his full pirate galore, including his hat.

We, meaning Jack, my father, my brother and his family, my sister and me, were on a horse-cart, which was strapped to Dafti, which was being driven by Manuel to Buskett, the woodland. "How long till we arrive?" I asked, shifting uncomfortably. Probably you've noticed that I'm not the best with horses. "Stop whining," Monika snapped. "I wasn't talking to _you_, fishwife. When will we be arriving dad? All those bumps in the road made my rear end a little sore," I said. My father chuckled and replied "Not too long now, maybe in two minutes' time." I sighed and nodded my head as I observed my surroundings.

We were passing through pathways between fields and farms and from small villages. Maria and Monika were talking, the kids were laughing with my father and Jack was sitting up at the front next to my brother, probably discussing one of Jack's adventures. True to my father's words, we arrived to said woodland a couple of minutes later.

The trees were mostly Aleppo pine and carob trees. One could hear merriment and joyful laughter from the woodlands. Everywhere was lighted with torches, the type of which I had never seen before, and orange light cast everything in a different shadow (which in my opinion was a bit risky, think about fire-torches in a woodland?) But anyway. Music floated in the air and after my brother left Dafti and the horse-cart with '_mobile_ _stables'_ we made our way in.

Everyone was dressed in a similar way to me and my family, and Jack earned a lot of curious stares. Jack slipped his arm around my waist and whispered "I'm feeling a bit lost 'round 'ere, love." "We'll get used to it," I responded. Manuel and his family and Monika made their way over to where rabbit stew was being served while my father, followed by Jack and I, lead the way to the wine stalls. "Here, try this. This is some of the best," my father said as he handed us a glass of wine each. A couple of other men came over and started a conversation with my father. "Not to be rude or anything, but I'm feeling a bit of place, darling," Jack said. I frowned as I pushed my shirt's sleeves up. No one had said anything about how hot the temperature was going to be.

"Tell you what, how about we go and do a bit of exploring on our own?" I said. "Aye should be better than standing here," he replied. I nodded as I tapped my father's shoulder. "We're going for a walk and to look around," I said. He nodded and replied "Alright, don't go to the Verdala Palace, it's haunted," he said and turned back to his conversation. I raised my eyebrows as Jack wrapped his arm around my waist, again, and we walked off. "Well that was rude," I said as we made our way away from the wine and food section and towards the '_music_ _part'_.

There was a group of musicians playing a mix of odd instruments. The only instruments that I recognized were the guitar, an odd sort of bagpipe, reed pipe, cane flute and a tambourine-like frame drum. They were playing a fast cheerful tune and many people were dancing. A smile tugged at my lips as I observed the carefree couples whirling around in time with the music. "Come on, let's go and join them," Jack said and without giving me a chance to respond, he pulled me in the midst of the fray. "But-Jack-I don't know how to dance!" I exclaimed, tripping over my feet and stumbling in my long skirt. "Don't think, just go with it!" he laughed, whirling me around. "Jack, wait! No, _Jack_!"

However, my protests were ignored as he laughed at my insecurities. I soon fell into step with his pace. "See?" he said, as a giggle escaped my lips.

Jack's Point of View

"See?" I said as a small giggle escaped her lips. I grinned at her as I swept her into an even faster pace and her smile widened. Her dark curls swayed around her shoulders as her twinkling eyes shined brighter in the torches' light. One of her light hands was resting on my shoulder and the other in my hand, mine was on her waist.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the others backing away and to leave more room for us. Did I mention that we were dancing twice as fast? The smile changed from a joyful one to a panicky one. "Jack, they're looking at us," she whispered. "Don't think! Just ignore them!" I whispered back.

Pia's Point of View

I could swear that my heart had leaped to my throat and settled somewhere behind my navel. So I focused my eyes on Jack's face, specifically his eyes and lips. His dark chocolate brown eyes had an orange shade due to the torches' light, his lips; the perfect form for kissing. His smile got wider, if that was possible, as he noticed that I was examining his face.

"Like what you see?" he said. I grinned and looked at his eyes. Instead of saying '_I've seen better_,' as I was sure he was expecting, I decided to say something else. "You've no idea," I whispered in his ear, as other couples started dancing once again. I stopped dancing and pulled him away from the dancing mass. I'm not a great fan of dancing.

When I looked at him, the bewilderment in his eyes almost made me laugh. "You didn't see that one coming did you?" I smirked at him as we retraced our steps back to the wine-stall and, you got that right, he was still drinking wine and in a hot argument with his friends. However as soon as he saw me, a smile graced his face, his eyes were a bit too bright and he said, in a too loud voice, "Ah Pia, daughter dearest, you're back." I smiled and nodded, and kept my mouth shut. "He's drunk," Jack whispered. "Shut up!" I hissed back, through smiling lips.

"They won't believe me that my daughter's husband is a captain, Jack" he said heatedly. "I didn't know that Monika was married," I said surprised. And indeed, no one had mentioned anything. "I don't think he's speaking about yer sister, love," Jack whispered upon seeing my father's confused face. "Then who's he talking about?" I asked. I looked over to my drunken father as he said "I wasn't talking about Monika. I was talking about _you_." My mouth dropped open in surprise and my eyebrows met in confusion. "B-but I'm not m-married," I stuttered, my eyes wide. He shrugged. "Soon-to-be husband, then," and with that he turned back to his previous argument in his native tongue. Jack's face was just as bewildered as mine.

"I think that maybe it's time we took your father home, before he makes a fool of hisself," Jack whispered. I nodded and turned around, looking for my brother or sister or Maria. The first person I noticed was the least that I liked, Monika. "Monika!" I said as I hurried over to her, Jack tagging behind. She stiffened as she heard my voice and turned around with difficulty. "What do _you_ want?" she hissed. "I want nothing," I said, frowning at her. "But father's drunk and he's making a fool of himself. Where's Manuel?" she pointed behind her and without waiting for her to answer, I hurried away. "Manuel," I said, tugging at his shirt's sleeve. "Our old man's drunk and he's giving quite an entertaining show," I said. "Maybe it's better if we go, before he does something that he'll regret when he's sober." Jack put in. "Aye, we should. It's getting late anyway," Manuel sighed as he walked towards his father's direction.

Moments later we were jostling on the horse-cart back to my father's house. My father was dozing in a corner, drool dribbling down his chin. Maria was huddling the sleepy kids, who literally had no energy left. And Monika was sitting as straight as a poker next to Manuel (who was driving the cart). I was sitting next to Jack (or should I say leaning against Jack) with his hand caressing my arm.

We arrived back to my father's house much quicker than our earlier trip. Needless to say, the first one to wobble towards bed was my drunken father, singing a lullaby to himself on the way. The next one to follow him was Maria, tugging the kids gently behind her. Manuel led Dafti to his stable. I would've helped him, really I would. But you know…horses and me; well that's not a very good combination. And Jack and I were left with Monika.

She frowned at me as I gazed around, trying to guess what was '_supposed'_ to be happening. "We only have one guest room. So you'll have to share, whether you like it or not," she spat towards me. Then she turned to Jack and said "I'm really sorry." My jaw dropped once again that night as I saw her attitude towards Jack. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to slap the sincere apologetic look on her face as she spoke to him, and that was for several reasons. First of all _I_ was her _sister_ (well, half-sister, but a sister either way). And secondly, she was speaking to _Jack_ that way when he was-well technically speaking he wasn't mine, but you get my drift anyway.

"That's alright, lass," Jack replied as he slipped an arm around my shoulders. The gesture felt more of a warning and of a means of holding me back, if the need arose, instead of the comforting flirty usual way. Probably, he had already noticed that I was about to spring on her like a cat on a mouse. She looked at me and narrowed her eyes at me. As retaliation, I sneered at her. She turned and led the way towards, what I guessed to be, the guest room.

The room wasn't bare, but it wasn't over-done either. A not-large-not-small bed, a cross hanging above it and a portrait of the Virgin Mary on the opposite wall, a comfortable-looking armchair, a desk and a chair, and a chest of drawers. On the chest of drawers, there was a small framed painting, in it one could see a man resembling George and a dark haired woman and a boy and a girl I recognized them as my father's family, complete with his rightful wife.

As soon as my sister's red skirt was out of sight and the door closed behind her, Jack pinned me swiftly to the wall. "If I remember correctly, you said you liked me handsome features," Jack whispered in my ear, his hot breath brushing against my cheek. My heart-beat went a notch higher. "Aye, you remember correctly," I replied in the same low tone.

A sly smile made its way on his lips as they descended on mine. The kiss wasn't hard, but it wasn't exactly soft either. It was sweet, so to speak, yet demanding and arduous. I can't really explain anything, except the fact that my lips moved in a perfect symphony with his. He placed small open-mouthed kisses on my neck and my eyes closed in pure pleasure.

"Jack, stop," I moaned. "Give three good reasons why," he whispered as he grazed his teeth on my earlobe. "The kids," I gasped. "They're asleep." He mumbled, sucking gently on my neck. "My father," I whispered. "Is fast sleep as well, love." "Jack, I'm losing control," I groaned, as his tongue dipped in the juncture between my neck and shoulder before placing a hot kiss on it. "Good," he said as his lips found mine once again.

This time I didn't hesitate to respond back. My hands found their way around his neck, pulling him further towards me. His tongue danced lightly on my lower lip pleading access to my mouth. I opened my lips slightly, inviting him in as my hands removed themselves from around his neck and tugged at his numerous belts. And then Jack did the unthinkable. He pulled away. Quite out of character, isn't it?

"You sure about this, love?" he whispered. "Don't make me force you," I whispered as I leaned upwards to place a kiss on his lips. "Don't blame it on me tomorrow then," he replied as his lips sought (and found) mine once again.

**That's all folks! Hope ya liked it. I guess you know what happened at the end, right? If not…well read it again, but it's pretty obvious, I think. I'll try to update soon (but I dunno when I'll be able to). Piracy and adventure is about to make a reappearance again! (Am not saying when). Free cookies for anyone who leaves a review:D!**


	34. Is there a problem between us Chapter 34

**Du du dum Chapter 34. Hehe, I feel happy, and I dunno why. So, I'd love to thank ****FunnyLittleMe**** and ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** for their wonderful reviews. Thanks a lot dearies! I really appreciate, you've no idea how excited I get when I see that I received a review. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC, *grumbles incoherently*.**

Jack's Point of View  
The morning sun was on my face, and my arm was around a woman's waist. The first thing that caught my attention when I opened my eyes was, well everything. I wasn't in my cabin on my ship but in a room.

That was when my memories of the previous night started coming back to me. The ride, the dance, Monika's insults, the kisses...A smile curled around my lips as I looked at Pia, sleeping peacefully and snuggled in my chest.

I frowned and the smile slid off my face. "What have you done to me, woman?" I sighed to myself as I slowly removed her arms from around my midriff. Seeing as we were in her father's house, with two small kids who were probably going to burst in at any moment, the wisest choice was to dress up as soon as possible, at least that's what I thought. So I quickly put on my breeches and shirt and picked up Pia's shirt, intending on going to back to bed before she woke up.

Pia's Point of View

It seemed as if I was slowly falling out of a warm blanket, but not exactly. It's actually very difficult to describe how I felt and I had no idea what was going on, till I realized I was waking up.

The first thought in my mind was _Jack._ I didn't know how I lost control the previous night, hell I didn't know even myself the previous night, but I ended up doing _it_ with him. I felt a fuzzy slow explosion of warmth in my stomach-heart region when I thought of him and I couldn't keep the smile off my face.

I moved around my hand on the bed, searching for a certain pirate, but I found nothing. A frown etched itself on my face as I searched the cold mattress beside me. However, I only found a shred of warmth on the pillow, meaning that he had just woken up. "Bloody pirate," I groaned as I tucked my hand under my pillow.

"Talkin' about ol' Jack, darlin'," a voice above my ear my whispered. "Yes, where did you go?" I said as I turned to look at him, opening my eyes for the first time that day. "I got you these," he said as he put my underwear and shirt in my hands. A chuckle escaped my lips, "Captain Jack Sparrow, showing a shred of decency. I thought I'd never live to see the day," I said as I motioned with my hand for him to turn around. I know, he's already seen me naked twice, but I'm still entitled to a little shyness around him, aren't I?

He chuckled as he turned his head. "Even Captain Jack Sparrow wouldn't enjoy the turn of events if his host found him in bed with his daughter, love," he replied smartly. I put on my underwear and shirt on and leaned towards Jack's ear. "Although I appreciate your concern, I don't appreciate that you left the bed without waking me," I said softly. I was pinned beneath him faster than you can say '_Kiss me._' "Any ideas how I might correct me bad behavior, love?" he said as his hot breath flowed over my lips. I ran my finger lightly on his lips. "I happen to have a few, Captain?" I teased as he placed a feather-light kiss on my lips, before attacking them with an arduous kiss.

After only a couple of seconds I broke away. I didn't trust myself to another of his kisses; I just knew that I would lose control again. "Although, seeing as your concern was rightly so, I know you're sensible enough not to be caught with said daughter in her bed by her father," I said as I managed to slip from under him. "Minx," he chuckled as I put on the dark green skirt, my sash and pistols. "Ah, but that's why you like me," I said as I threw his shirt at him. "Come on, get dressed before the two little explosives arrive," I continued, tugging my boots on.

We spent the day trailing around the island like two lovers, visiting magnificent beaches mostly. There were all types of beaches; rocky, pebbly, sandy, cliffs...you name it, you'd find it.

It seemed as if our relationship had sort of, I dunno, reached a new level? I don't know quite how to describe it. It seemed as if we were _'content'_ with each other, even though we weren't together _officially_. It seemed as if we both knew that the other cared but was still afraid to ask, in case the answer was negative. In other words, I could've said that, on my part, I was confused. I knew that I shouldn't have trusted him, because the one time I did I ended up penniless. But on the other hand I _couldn't_ not trust him.

It was as if I was losing control over the greater part of myself, physically, emotionally and mentally. I couldn't stop my heart from beating faster when he touched me, even if he only put his arm around my waist, or a smile from forming on my face when he smiled (or smirked in a _'kind'_ way, if there is such a thing) at me. Judging from the previous night, I got very emotional when even my own sister looked at him _that_ way. And mentally; he was always in my mind, maybe not the main focus all the time, but always there, tucked in a corner or ghosting around in the shadows. I had a pretty good idea of what was happening to me, even though I was confused, but I didn't dare admit it, not even to myself.

Needless to say, Jacob didn't forget to remind Jack of his promise (the one where Jack promised him a ride on _the_ _Black_ _Pearl_). And after lot of pleading on Jacob's part, Manuel allowed them, meaning Lisa and Jacob, to spend that night and the following day on the _Pearl_, with the condition that Monika had to come with us. He said that seeing as I _'worked'_ on the _Pearl_; I wouldn't be able to keep a double eye on the kids, seeing as Jacob had inherited his pirate grandfather's attitude.

And so, when the sun was starting to set we, meaning Jack, Jacob, Lisa, Monika, the crew and I, set sail towards ir-Ramla l-Ħamra, meaning the Red Sand. Probably you want to ask '_Why?_' Well, we did come to the Mediterranean in search for Calypso's Cave, right? And after a little snooping around we found out the exact location.

The sun's last rays were illuminating the picturesque beach and we, were striding in the sand and climbing rocks towards the Cave. "Light the lamps!" Jack said, as the sun immersed itself in the sea. Little flames flickered to life behind us as the rest of the crew lit the lamps and candles they were carrying. "You sure this is safe for the kids?" Jack asked Monika as we stood by the Cave's mouth. She nodded her head and said "There's nothing in there. It has been searched many times and nothing was found. Calypso's just an old legend." "And I suppose so is Davy Jones, right?" I scoffed as I ignored Gibbs' sharp intake of breath. She frowned and nodded her head. I chuckled and said nothing.

"You think you know _everything_ because you've sailing for God knows how long!" She exploded as soon as she heard my laughter. My eyes narrowed to slits as I grabbed her by the arm and hauled her away to where we could have a more private conversation. I closed my eyes and breathed out slowly, calming myself. "Is there a problem between, Miss Monika?" I asked with composure. "Yes, there _is_!" she burst out. I waved my hand in a dismissive manner. "Enlighten me," I said.

"You come from the Caribbean, _pretending_ that you don't know who your father is, trying to break a family apart. You're always moaning about how life has been _oh-so-hard_ for you, while in fact you were stealing and murdering anyone wretched enough to cross your path! And what's more you're a mistake that should've _never_ happened! My father should've been loyal to my mother, but instead he went to the first prostitute that he found and made _you_!" she said spitting the last word with disgust. '_That hurt_,' I thought as I watched the furious harpy that I called sister.

She opened her mouth to continue her insults but I raised a finger at her and said, "Nuh uh, now _you_ wait while _I_ respond you. I may not look it, but in all the total amount of time I spent sailing is about a year. A year and a half tops, and no I didn't know who my father was. For your information, I wasn't _interested_ in looking for him; it was purely on chance that we met." I stopped and looked out towards the sea.

"I didn't _moan_ about my life, I only spoke to my _father_ about what happened to me. Yes, I did steal seeing as I could find no job, with my reputation ruined by a former employer. But I never stole from poor people, if it puts you at ease." I stopped and looked at her, to see her shocked. "No, I didn't kill. My hands are clean of blood, even though there are some whom I wish to wring their neck. Maybe yes, I am a mistake. But it's not really my fault, is it? My mother was _not_ a prostitute when our father met her. And if it missed your observations, he was unfaithful to your mother for a short period of time. My mother was deceived from the very beginning. She didn't even _know_ he was married. Your life, compared to mine and those of my kind, is _heaven_. Be happy for the fact that you grew up with both parents." I said.

Her mouth was opening and closing, trying to form words without succeeding. "Do you want to know what else happened to me? When I met a friend, whom I hadn't seen for 13 years, I fell in love with him. A month later he was gone with my money and my virginity. I was with _nothing_, not even my virtue. No money, no shelter, no weapons, no job, no honour _nothing._ Just a dress and a corset, not even shoes. And that was only the beginning. I wonder, what would _you_ have done, had you been in my situation?" I said. Her mouth was closed and she was looking at me in a stunned way. "That's what I thought," I said, chuckling darkly as I made my way towards the awaiting crew.

"Everything alright, love?" Jack asked as soon as I made my way over to him. "Yeah, everything's settled." I said, hiding my upset state. However, Jack regarded me with shrewd eyes so I searched for a change of subject. "Should I go in first? You said I was the '_key'_, right?" I said. He nodded his head and looked in the dark cave. "You shouldn't go alone, love," he said. "Jack, I'll be alright," I sighed as Emma handed me a lamp.

"Aunty Pia, will we find treasure?" A voice said. I looked down to see Lisa tugging at my pants and staring up at me with big brown eyes. I crouched down to her level. "I don't know, sweetheart. That's why you'll be staying with Aunty Monika, Uncle Jack and the rest of the crew while I go and check inside." I said. As soon as I saw her mouth opening in protest I interrupted her and said, "Tell you what. You see that man? The one with large sideburns?" Lisa giggled and said "The one who's been saying that women are bad luck?" I sighed. "Still harping about that one, the superstitious old fool? Yes, that one. Go to him and tell him that I told him to tell you and your brother a story. Oh, and tell the others that if they say bad-words I'll castrate them," I said. "What does castrate mean, Aunty?" she asked innocently. "You don't need to know. Now run along with your brother," I replied as I stood up, taking the lamp up with me.

"You know, he's going to be _very_ annoyed," Jack said. I smiled at him and said "I know. That's why I sent him the kids and the warning." I looked at Monika in a doleful way. "You can join them as well if you want to. Or else you can stay with Emma and Lizzie, if you want female company," I told her. I turned and kissed Jack's cheek as I sauntered over to the cave.

**That's all folks! Hope ya liked it. If you feel generous, click the pretty green button and type a couple of words. Reviews make me happy ! : ) Till next time!**


	35. Surprises: Chapter 35

**Here's chapter 35. Hope ya like it peeps! My thanks go to ****FunnyLittleMe**** and ****SoftlySpokenHeart****. Thanks a lot for the wonderful reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC, but I want to *pouts*.**

The lamp in my hand barely cast a dim light in the thick blackness of the cave. However, I felt oddly calm. I know that it's weird since I tend to panic in the dark. After stumbling on every rock and tripping on every crack, I arrived to the end of the cave. The tunnel opened to a very large space and an odd silver light, like the moonlight, was lighting the whole place.

In the middle of the cavern, I found a statue of Tia Dalma, or Calypso. She was standing in an upright position, stroking a crab in her hand. I observed my surroundings, trying to find what I had to do to act as a '_key'_. I looked back towards the statue and it turned its head to look at me. I stepped back in shock as she opened her mouth and said "I always knew the sea would bring you back t' me one day," in a heavy Cuban accent.

She stepped towards me as I stepped back again. My mouth opened and closed in shock, trying to form words that would never come. "W-what d-do you mean?" I managed to stutter out. Her smile widened as she walked slowly towards me. "Haven't you eva' wondered who Magdalene referred to that one fateful day'?" "How do you know about her?" I asked. "I kno' everything about you. Haven't you eva' wondered why your skin is darker than your mother's? Why you look so different than her?" "Because of my father," I said. "You kno' why?" she continued as she took my hand in her stone one.

"Because-" I stopped and gawked at her. "_You_ were the Obeah woman he spoke of? The one who gave birth to him?" I said. "Yes," she replied. "So _that's_ why Davy Jones said that I'm a tamer version of someone he knew!" I exclaimed. She nodded her head and said, "You wonde' where said treasure is," she stated, jumping from one subject to another, and I nodded. "You will find it if you go back. Before you leave, I wan' you to 'ave this," she said handing me a snake-bangle and a Celtic ring. "This ring allows you to understand and speak any language. And this is Calypso's mark," she said referring to the bangle. "You will 'and it to your oldes' daughter when the time is right."

I nodded my head and before she could go back to her frozen state I said "I-I wonder, if you could do something for me and a friend of mine." She nodded her head for me to continue. "But, I don't have anything for payment." "There need not be payment, this one time," she said. I nodded my head. "I have a friend, Elizabeth Turner whose husband is the _Dutchman_'s captain. I was wondering if maybe you could spare him his fate and grant him back the life he lost, or maybe bend the rules and allow him to step on land at least once a month?" I said. Her mouth stretched into a smile, "Why, yes I could. But why would I wan' to?" I shrugged. "Because he freed me from the _Dutchman_'s imprisonment?" I said uncertainly. She chuckled and nodded her head. And with that she walked back to the middle of the cavern and froze back to her original form.

Needless to say, I hightailed the cavern. As soon as I stumbled out, I found no one. Grumbling to myself, I put on the ring and bangle and hurried to the _Pearl_, which was still anchored a little further out in the bay. I climbed up on deck. "Jack! Jack!" I shouted as I ran to the cabin, finding it empty. "Mr. Gibbs!" The galley was dark. "Emma, Lizzie!" No answer. "Jacob! Lisa! Monika!" I shouted getting hysterical. "Where is everyone?!" Silence.

I ran to Jack's cabin and took out his spare spyglass, climbed to the crow's nest and focused it on the horizon. It was very difficult to see, but I managed to make out a blot against the stars heading towards a very small island very close by. I climbed back down to the row-boat and rowed back to the beach. As soon as the boat hit the sand, I jumped in the water, not caring that sea-water was splashing at my boots and pants, and ran towards the small fishing village nearby, shouting at the top of my lungs for help.

The place was eerily silent, as if it had just suffered a pirate attack. "_Quiet_! You want them to come back for ye?" An old man, who had just come out of a dark alley, said. "Who?" I said. The situation was getting weirder by the minute. A talking statue, the crew's absence, the village's deserted look and now the understanding of their native tongue. '_Must be the ring's effect_,' I thought. "The corsairs!" he spat. "You mean there was an attack?" I asked stupidly. "Wasn't that what I said?" he replied sarcastically. "Took my daughter hostage they did. Now I'll never see my Rosa again," he sighed as a nostalgic melancholic look came over his face.

"Oh God, oh God no! This can't be happening!" The words were out of my mouth without my noticing. "Well take a good look around you, girl. This is what just happened!" He said the fury back in his voice. "You don't understand. My niece and nephew and sister and friends and the man I love and the crew are captured by them!" I said getting hysterical. I didn't even notice that I had referred to Jack as '_the man I love_,' but that tends to happen to you when you realize that everyone you knew was being carted off to slavery. His eyes softened at my words. "I'm sorry, girl. But there's nothing we can do." He said.

I looked at him sharply, trying not to let panic over take me. "Yes, there is," I answered back. "_Ha!_ You're mad, woman!" he burst out as he limped away. "So that's how it is, isn't it?" I murmured to myself as I caught sight of a small stable adjoined with an abandoned house. " 'M sorry," I murmured to missing owners as I took out a bit of gold from my pocket and placed it on the floor. The horse I stole was very placid-looking, however I still was apprehensive of what I was about to do. I gritted my teeth and pulled myself on his back before spurring him towards the nearest watch-tower.

To my surprise, the horse obeyed my command and a few moments later I was clambering down his back and bursting through the slightly ajar wooden door. I ran up the flight of stairs and ran into a hubbub of knights. Apparently, the knight on watch was caught unawares and had forgotten to alert them of the attacking ship. As soon as I burst in, everyone stopped and looked at me in a disbelieving glare.

After an eternity of silence, which was only a couple of seconds in reality, I said "Who's in charge?" "What is the meaning of this?" an enraged uptight-looking middle-aged knight asked. "I said, who's in charge?" I questioned again, my voice rising to a higher octave. "Take her away," he said nonchalantly as two knights seized my upper arms none too gently. I took out my brown pistol with engravings on the barrel (the one I won from Port Royal) and pointed it towards his head, while cocking it. "I said, _who's in charge?!_" I shouted.

"Release her," a voice said and the two who were dragging me out stopped. "Sir, she-" the knight started. "I'm aware of the situation. Release her and continue with your jobs. You, come with me." I followed the man, who appeared to be their superior, to a small office. "Tell me what you need to say," he said as he seated himself. "The corsairs! They took the crew hostage!" I exclaimed, as I uncocked the pistol and stuck it back in my sash. He frowned and leaned forwards, resting his elbows on the desk. "Explain yourself," he commanded gently. I sighed and ran a hand in my hair in frustration. "The ship with black sails that docked in the beach earlier, you heard of it right? _The_ _Black_ _Pearl_?" "Yes, I'm aware of it. The one that arrived two days ago," he stated. "Yes! Its crew, they were taken hostage!" I said. "You mean to say, that they were not in league with the corsairs?" "No!" "How do you know?" "Because I'm one of the crew!" I burst out. "Well I'm afraid to say we have no chance of catching them, they're already out at sea." He said.

"That's where you're mistaken! They were heading towards that small island, Comino!" "You mean to say that they haven't left the islands?" "_No!_ Why is it so bloody difficult to understand?" He got up from his chair abruptly and started pacing around the office. "This means that your crew fought back and damaged their ship in one way or another. We must find a way how to attack them with the element of surprise. Do you have any ideas?" he said, rounding on me. "I don't know! Maybe take me to the islet, drop me on the other side while you hide your ship. I'll unlock the prisoners from the brig, steal their ship and then you come and capture them?" I said, thinking up of a very flawed plan on a whim.

"You do know that your plan is flawed and dangerous, don't you?" he said seriously. "I can't think of another!" I said, trying to calm myself. "Right then, follow me." he said as he hurried out of the office and down to the, now less agitated, knights. "Men, we have new information of where the corsairs are hiding. The _Pearl_'s crew is innocent of the attack-" he was interrupted by an angry outburst. "Then why is the ship completely unharmed?" the earlier knight asked.

"How the bloody hell should I know? Maybe they thought it was an omen. If my crew were responsible, then tell me, ye scurvy bilge rat, why were they taken hostage when we have our own ship?" I shouted, no longer able to hide my irritation. "Everyone, that's enough!" The superior shouted. "Prepare our ship and chart the shortest course to Comino, we'll set sail in a few hours to rescue the captured knights and the lady's crew," he said and then he turned to me and in a quieter voice said "I want to know how you weren't captured and how you knew where they would be."

**Magdalene was speaking of Tia Dalma (no wonder Jack had to deal with a heathen goddess when he left Port Royal without Pia, even though she forced him to). Next chapter is going to be **_**very very **_**very intense, along with a couple of surprises, some of which may not be pleasant. Hope you liked it (and the small tip off I gave for the nest chapter, you know I don't do that very often). Leave a couple of reviews on your way, they're greatly appreciated. : )**


	36. How to escape bullets: Chapter 36

**And here's chapter 36. Hope ya like it! Oh, and I'd love to thank ****FunnyLittleMe**** and ****SoftlySpokenHeart****. Thanks a lot for the wonderful reviews!**

**Disclaimer: POTC doesn't belong to me.**

The sun's first rays were touching the cool waters and I was on a ship, this time sailing towards Comino to save my crew. The plan was that the knights were to drop me in the water a little way away from the isle and on the opposite side of where the corsair ship was docked. I was to swim towards the island, creep on their ship, unlock the prisoners from the brig and unleash hell on their capturers. Then we were to leave the corsairs on the island and sail away on their ship while the knights' ship docked and captured them one by one.

If my plan succeeded, I was to become the ship's new captain, meaning that I wouldn't be sailing back to the Caribbean on the _Pearl_ but on my ship, if everything went according to plan. As the knights estimated, the damage should have been repaired, concluding from similar past adventures. My question was why they hadn't captured the _Pearl_. And according, to the knights and my assumptions, they were afraid that it was a bad omen. Quite stupid, really.

"We've arrived, miss," a native sailor said. "Aye," I replied as I climbed on the gunwale and dived into the sea. The only thing that bothered me was that, if the need arose, I couldn't fire my gun due to the wet gunpowder. The swim towards the isle was uneventful, and my fingers nearly froze off in the morning breeze, you know the wind was coming from over the sea, the sun wasn't yet up and I was soaked to the bone.

To cut a long story short, I managed to escape the enemy pirates and found my way on their ship. As the knights had predicted, the damage was already repaired and the ship was uninhabited, apart from the prisoners and the (one) person keeping guard. "Stupid idiots," I muttered to myself as I crept in the brig after knocking him unconscious with my pistol's butt.

As soon as the door creaked open, an avalanche of curses and insults were thrown towards me. I cocked an eyebrow as I stepped in the little light emitted by the small lamp. "You know, it's not very wise to insult the person trying to free you," I commented as I searched around, trying to find the key. "Ah-ha!" I said victoriously as I spotted a ring of rusty large keys. "Pia?" Jack asked in disbelief. "The one and only," I said flashing him a smile as I took the rings from the nail.

"Do you know where your weapons are?" I asked everyone as I started to unlock all the doors. "Aye, lass. What's going on?" Gibbs asked. "The knights are going to surprise and take _them_ hostage, and we'd be gaining a new pirate ship for the Caribbean's collection" I said, "Now go get your weapons and let's set sail!" I said as I opened the last door. "Aye Captain!" the crew answered as everyone rushed out. "Captain?" I asked to nobody in particular as I smiled to myself. "Seems I won't be having problems with people remembering my title," I murmured as I looked around to check that no one was left behind and found Lisa and Jacob with Monika and some crying children and women.

"Come on, get out! Hide in the galley if you're too afraid to fight!" I said, opening the door even wider. They stepped out uncertainly and once they realized that I wasn't going to harm them, they ran out on deck. "Pia?" Monika asked hesitantly as she stepped out towards me. "Forgive me?" she asked holding out her hand. I looked at her skeptically and slapped her hand away. "Handshakes are for strangers," I said smiling as I hugged her. She _was_ my sister after all. "Now come on, there's a battle awaiting me!" I said as I hurried upstairs.

"Captain!" Gibbs greeted me as I stepped outside. "What is it?" "They have another ship, they're about to attack us," he informed me. "They are, aren't they?" I mused. "Ready the guns and the cannons, send them to Jones' Locker," I said as I surveyed the commotion on board my ship. _My ship_. How sweet the word tasted on my tongue. "Aye, Cap'n," Gibbs replied, trying not to smile as he hurried away, ordering around the crew.

I turned to the crowd of natives that were lurking around on deck, uncertain of what to do. "So, any of you ever sailed before or know how to fire a cannon?" I asked. A couple of men raised their hands. "Right then, Mr. Gibbs!" I said, shouting the last part. "Aye, miss?" he said, materializing beside me. "Take these fine men down to the cannons, we found a temporary addition to our crew. Oh, and by the way, they don't understand our language, so you're aware of our situation," I said. He nodded and motioned with his hand for them to follow him. I turned to the remaining people, which included small children, women and a couple of old men. "The rest of you, hide in the galley and be prepared to defend yourself if need be!" and with that, they scampered away to their hiding places.

I smiled as I watched my crew (temporarily of course) in perfect symphony, preparing for the oncoming battle. "What would you have me do, Captain?" a familiar deep voice said from behind me. I smiled and turned to face Jack. "At the helm, Mr. Sparrow," I said smiling as he winked at me and strode, or should I say swayed, over to the helm. I walked over to side and surveyed the scene unfolding before my eyes.

The situation couldn't have been better for us. From what I concluded, the approaching ship had come from the open sea and it was sailing quite low in the water. Meaning that it was heavy with loot and it hadn't plundered the Maltese Islands, so, if we succeeded, we'd have more swag to add to our holds (had they plundered the Islands, we would've given the lot to the knights, seeing as were staying there at their mercy). My ship's bow was pointing out of the bay, so all we had to do was sail out, not spend time turning her around. The knights' ship was sailing from behind us, still hidden, meaning that if the need arose we were going to have back up in the upcoming fight.

"Change of plans lads! Run a shot across the bow! (Meaning: Send a warning shot to the other vessel's captain) And prepare to board!" I shouted. A cheer greeted my words as everyone took out their weapons and a warning shot was fired. "Cap'n! It's against the Code to plunder fellow pirates!" Gibbs said, as he hurried over to me. "I'm aware of it, Mr. Gibbs. But the Code also states that if said pirates are to attack, you may attack back and take your winnings, meaning their goods. And that is what they're forcing us to do," I said. "Aye Captain, come on lads, look lively! Her holds look fit to burst!" Gibbs said as he turned from me and hurried over to the men.

I grinned to myself and walked over to the helm. "Got any tricks up your sleeve, Captain?" Jack joked. "Aye. We board and win the fight we're about to have, threaten the captain and take the booty," I said. "Very original," he chuckled. "Well, I happen to be in the mood for the traditional attack," I said as I turned and went back on deck. "Let go the anchor! On my word- FIRE!" I shouted, ordering them to open fire. The anchor splashed down to the bottom of the sea, anchoring the ship in place, seeing as it wasn't moving. "Let go the wheel and board the other ship!" I shouted to Jack, as grapple hooks were fired towards the other ship. I grabbed a rope and swung over with half the crew.

As soon as I landed, a portly man came up to me and before I could flash a cheeky smile, we were engaged in a fierce sword-fight. I fought against several pirates, and I'm proud to say that I didn't kill anyone. I knocked out a good number of them, hurt some of them but not killed. As you can conclude I'm not very fond of blood, even though I'm a pirate.

I found myself fighting against a large smelly man. "Where's you captain?" he asked. "Currently? Defending her hide from you," I said, feeling cockier by the second as I dodged a vicious swipe towards my head. "I'm not joking, woman," he growled. "Neither am I," I growled back. "Where's _your_ captain?" I said. "I am," he said proudly, distracting himself. I took advantage of his momentarily pride and knocked his sword his hand. I took out my white pistol aimed it at his head. "Tell them to surrender," I said motioning with my head towards his crew. He frowned at me and spat at my feet.

I raised my eyebrows and cocked my pistol. "I said, order your crew to surrender, if you want your head in one piece," I threatened as I pushed the barrel between his eyes. I wasn't intending to kill him, but he didn't need to know that. Seeing as I was threatening their captain, the crew quickly surrendered. 'My' crew was taking the swag over to our ship as another couple of crew members ripped the sails, making sure that they wouldn't follow us. We swung back to my ship and cut off the ropes binding the ships together.

"Raise canvas! Sail back to the Cave, the _Pearl's_ waiting for us!" I said, earning another cheer. I was passing by the captain's cabin, when Lizzie's shout caught my attention. "Pia, look out!" I looked at the other ship to see their captain aiming a pistol at me. The first thing I noticed was the slightly open cabin door. It wasn't as thick as the _Pearl's_ but it would do, or so I thought.

Just as I heard the tell tale bang, I stood against the bulkhead and pulled the door towards me, hiding and pressing myself further into the bulkhead. The only thing I felt was a jarring impact as the bullet made contact with the door. I stuck my head out the door and shouted, laughing all the time, "Missed! Next time, aim a little better!"

At first, I felt nothing. No pain, nothing out of the ordinary. But then, a searing pain ripped through my chest. I pulled my head back behind the door as I chocked on a gasp and grabbed the door's knob for support. I didn't dare to look down to where the mind-numbing pain was coming from, so after composing my face I stuck my head out and said. "Sail as fast as we can to the next port, where the _Pearl_ is preferably. And don't disturb me," I said, and rushed in the cabin, closing the door with a sharp snap.

The first stab of pain gave way to a wave of agony. I walked towards the cabin's window as if in a daze and looked down at my chest where the pain was coming from, between my ribs and slightly lower than my heart. Blood was flowering and staining my, once white, shirt scarlet rapidly. Every breath I took was utterly and excruciatingly painful.

I tore my open my shirt and nearly fainted at the sight. Blood was pouring freely out of a small circular wound which was situated where my ribs separated, just above my stomach and under my heart. I put my hand over the puckering wound and observed my blood covered hand in a trance, while more blood pooled down around my feet.

Jack's Point of View

My relief at Pia's way of escaping the shot was something I couldn't explain. For a moment, I was convinced that she had been hit. "Mr. Cotton, man the helm," I said as I passed the wheel in his hands and made my way over to the cabin. I put out my hand to turn the knob and stopped. There was a whole in the wood, a small one, as if a bullet had passed right through. "That's odd," I muttered to myself. I was certain that Pia hadn't been shot; she had _walked unattended_ in the cabin. That doesn't happen when a person's shot in the midriff. However, a thread of uncertainty ran through me and I burst in.

She was standing with her back towards the door, standing oddly still and facing the windows. I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her waist. Something wet, slippery and warm spilled over my arms. "What's this, love?" I said as I turned her around. A gasp of pain escaped her lips as blood dribbled all over me. "Pia! You've been shot!" the words flew out of my mouth in horror, stating the obvious, as her head fell back and the strength from her knees escaped, causing her to lose balance. My arms tightened instinctively around her and I carried her to the bed, leaving a trail of her blood behind us.

"Mr. Gibbs! Remington!" I bellowed as I placed her gently on the mattress. "Jack," she gasped. "Where's that bloody doctor?!" "Jack," she whimpered again as she raised her blood stained hand weakly. "Aye, love, I'm here." I said as I took her hand in mine and kissed it, smearing her blood on my lips unintentionally. "Am I going to die?" she coughed. "No, love. We're going to pull through this, together," I said as I held her hand tighter. She chuckled and said "Don't sugar-coat the unavoidable." At this point, Remington and Gibbs burst in, only to be stupefied by the blood.

"Jack," she said again. "I want you to know before I die-" she paused and drew a shuddering breath before continuing weakly "-I love you." The look of adoration in her eyes broke my heart and I couldn't stop the small tears from gathering at the edges of my eyes. "You won't die, love. I won't let you. You're not going to be taken away from me again, darlin'," the sweet assurances sounded convincing enough, but my firm belief was being shaken as I saw the life dulling from her eyes.

I kissed her forehead and she chuckled once again. "You smell like a-wet dog," she said, indicating my wet hair. "Pia, this isn't the best time," I sighed. "But I still love you, always have. It's always been you, you were the only one." She said. "Captains, we're pulling up beside the _Pearl_," Gibbs said uncertainly. I turned to Remington and growled "Go get your stuff, _now_! Or I'll keelhaul you!"

As he ran out, Gibbs said "I'll keep everyone out of the way," and he hurried out as well. I looked down at Pia, to see her start losing the battle for consciousness. "Stay with me, love. Fight it," I whispered as I squeezed her hand, trying to give her the courage and hope that I didn't have. "I'm sorry," she murmured as her eyes closed.

**Don't hate me too much, please? What do you think? Will Pia survive? What about her ship and Jack? What do you think the ship's name would be, if Pia survives and becomes her Captain? **

**Next chapter will be up soon, I hope. The more reviews I receive the faster I update, just so you know. Till next time then!**


	37. The Red Star: Chapter 37

**Sorry for the delay but my computer wasn't working properly. This chapter was supposed to be published on Christmas, but my computer decided to break down on that very same day. (I went berserk and nearly threw it out my balcony). So, I'd love to thank my reviewers; ****FunnyLittleMe****, ****SoftlySpokenHeart****, ****DeucesAreWild**** and ****The Fanfic Critic****. Thanks for your support people!**

Jack's Point of View

I was surprised that I hadn't worn down Pia's ship's planks by my pacing. That's right; Remington threw me out of the cabin when he was removing the bullet from Pia's wound. He said that I'd be more of a hindrance than of assistance. Probably he was right. It was incredible. If the bullet had been a little higher, her ribs and breastbone would've been shattered. If it had been a little lower, the bullet would've gone right through in without a hope of removing it. Both scenarios would've resulted in her death. Luckily it had been caught between the ribs.

The look in her eyes just before she lost consciousness scared me. I don't really know how to describe it. Her eyes, usually full of life, humour and mischief, were dulling right in front of my very eyes. It was as if…as if her life was literally draining away, like the blood from her gash. It was as if she was already d- "Captain?" Mr. Remington's quiet voice said, interrupting my thoughts, for which I was grateful for. "Aye?" I asked, hoping for the best and fearing the worst.

"I did all that was in my power. You have to understand, she lost a lot of blood," he said as he wiped his hands from blood. I felt as if my stomach lost its bottom as I looked at the crimson liquid on the white cloth, _her blood_. "She'll need a lot of rest, Captain. It's a miracle she's _still_ alive." He said. "She's alive?" "Yes, Captain."

The words hadn't even left his mouth and I was already hurrying towards the bed, where Pia was lying. Her eyes were closed, her hair dead looking, her lips were pale and her shirt was stained red. But her chest was moving. Slowly and weakly, but she was breathing. A breath, I didn't realize I was holding, escaped my lungs as my knees gave way, landing myself in a chair. I put my face in my hands, trying to calm myself.

"It's alright now, Captain. She's alive _and_ safe," Emma soft voice. '_That's where the chair came from_.' "Aye lass." And so four or five days passed, before a flicker of an eyelid confirmed that Pia had won the battle against unconsciousness.

Pia's Point of View

Pain. Agonizingly aching pain, just where my ribs separated. That was the first thing that I noticed when I came to. A whimper escaped my lips before I could stop it and in a split second Jack was beside me, his face all smiles. "You're alive," he said as he sat on the bed beside me. "And in pain," I continued. "How long have I been out?" I asked. "About four to five days," he replied. I sighed as my eyes scanned my unfamiliar surroundings.

"Where are we?" I asked. "Your ship," he replied, battling an even bigger smile. "My ship?" I asked and then "Oh, my _ship_," I said as a small grin started to unfold on my face. "_My_ ship," I repeated again. "Aye, _Captain_ Sterlin," he replied. I took a deep breath and gasped as pain ripped through my abdomen. "What is it?" he asked, his face gone from happy to worried. "It hurts," I hissed. He got up from the bed as if it was suddenly on fire and started searching frantically for something on his desk.

"What the hell are you _doing_?" I asked as I saw the mess he was creating. "Searching for something to help you relive the pain, love," he replied. "Please, don't get laudanum. I don't like that stuff. Get me rum instead," I replied. His searching stopped as he picked up a dusty bottle from a chest, opened it and handed it to me. He helped me sit up and I put the bottle to my lips, feeling its burning sweetness rush down my throat. "What happened to the kids and Monika?" I asked, once I took a generous amount of rum. "The knights offered them a passage home," he replied. We were silent for a moment until Jack decided to break it.

"What you said, before you passed out, did you mean it?" '_Oh boy, I knew I shouldn't have opened my mouth._' "I-well- what I said-I mean," I started, but then I sighed and looked at my hands in my lap. "Yes," I whispered, hoping he wouldn't hear and that he'd drop it. Of course, I had no such luck. "Oh."

"Oh? Is _that_ all you have to say?" I asked. "Is this the part where I'm supposed to confess me eternal love?" he asked slyly. "No, this is the part where you're supposed to tell me the truth," I replied. "Oh, I dunno love. I just-I need to figure it out. This is all new to me," he replied. "Oh that's right, and to me it isn't because I practice falling in love every week," I replied sarcastically. "Glad to see you're sarcasm hasn't been hurt," he answered snidely. "Oh ha _ha_, very funny," I snapped. "It wasn't supposed to be funny," he said smartly. "And you were supposed to tell the truth," I retorted back. "And you still didn't answer my question." "What question, love?" he asked innocently.

I sighed, closed my eyes and lay my head back on the plump pillows. "Just forget it," I mumbled. It was useless trying to wring out an answer from him anyway. "What happened in the Cave?" he asked after a moment's silence. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I replied, opening my eyes. "Try me," he goaded softly. I chuckled and said "Fine. I encountered a talking stone statue." He frowned and his lips parted in surprise. "Love, you're _positively_ delusional. Last time I checked stone doesn't do anything," he paused and then continued "except release crabs."

I raised my hand towards him. "You see those?" I asked indicating the Celtic ring and bangle. He nodded his head. "The statue, which was an exact replica of Tia Dalma, gave them to me. The ring let's me speak any language and the bangle-" I paused and looked at him unsurely as he sat beside me. I took a breath, winced at the pain in my chest and said "The bangle is Calypso's Mark." "What do you mean by tha', love?" he asked. "You remember my father saying that his mother was an Obeah woman?" I asked. "Aye," he replied.

"Well, that woman was Calypso bound in human form." Silence. And then "You've _got _to be joking," he burst out. "Does it look like I'm joking?" I asked. "She said that if I went out of the Cave I'd find the treasure," I continued and shrugged. "I didn't find no treasure," I continued. "So that explains why _the_ _Pearl's_ holds are bursting with swag and all manner of valuables." Jack mused.

"You're pulling my leg, right?" I asked incredulous. "I'm saying the truth. Every word, love," he replied holding his hands up. "You do realize that we're positively _rich_?" I asked. "Aye," he replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. Someone knocked on the door and Jack got up and opened it.

"I'm here to check on Miss Sterlin, Captain," Remington's voice said as Jack nodded and opened the door wider. He stopped in his tracks as he saw that I was awake. "Oh, you're awake." He said as he put his small medicine cabinet on a chair and brought it over next to the bed. "May I?" he said, indicating the bandages around my chest. "Sure, go ahead," I said as he undid the bandages, leaving my breasts covered. "You're a very lucky woman, Miss Sterlin," he commented as he cleaned over the stitches with a stinging ointment. "I was unlucky enough to be hit by a shot," I replied back. "The bullet got stuck between the ribs. It didn't fragment itself and the ribs were left intact. The wound doesn't appear as if it's going to be infected and you woke up after only four days. You're a _very_ lucky woman. Why the blood loss _alone_ should have been enough to kill you," he said as he wrapped the bandages around my midriff.

At that moment, a knock on the door interrupted our conversation. Mr. Gibbs poked his head in, as Mr. Remington strode out, and said "Captains? Miss Monika is here, and she has company with 'er." Jack looked at me with a narrowed eye. "Tell them to come in in a moment." I said as I sat up with difficulty. "Love, you shouldn't-" "I'm fine, Jack. Now help me change my shirt, it's ripped," I said, interrupting his warning. He sighed as he pulled another shirt from a cloth bag (which I'm sure he had brought from _the_ _Pearl_) and helped me put it on.

"You know, you should obey the Captain's orders," he said quietly. I smiled at him as I put on my boots slowly. "Aye, the Captain _is_ giving orders. You're on my ship, Jack," I replied, as I leaned back. He sighed and shook his head as he walked over to the door to invite my sister and the others in.

Monika walked in followed by Antonio and a lovely girl, about my sister's age. She was very pretty. Her almond shaped eyes were an azure blue colour. Her long brown hair was incredibly straight, no waves or kinks, just straight. Her tall slender frame was blessed with the right amount of curves and her skin was like honeyed milk. Her smile was sweet and innocent, like an angel's. "This is Sara, my friend," Monika said. I nodded my head and smiled. "Please sit, if there are enough chairs," I said. As it turned out, there were only four, just enough.

"Pia, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said-" Monika gushed, however I interrupted her. "It's not your fault, don't blame yourself. What brings you here?" I said. She nodded, more to herself than anything and said "I know it isn't possible, but if you-you know, if you want to stay with us, just say the word." "Thanks. I appreciate, really I do. But I can't accept, the sea's my home. And now that I have my own ship, I'm less than willing to accept you offer. Thanks, though." I replied. She smiled a small apologetic smile and sat back.

Sara stepped forward and placed a basket on the bedside table. "That's fruit, from our fields." She said pointing towards the wicker basket. "I hope we can be friends." She continued as she put forward her hand. I shook her hand and said "I don't see why not, at the moment." She nodded and said "Monika told me a lot about you and about what happened. I hope you recover fully, not many survive a wound like that." "I'm trying to keep looking towards the optimistic side," I replied. She nodded and stepped back, allowing Antonio to step forward.

"The Grandmaster would like to see you," he said. I nodded my head and said "Tell him to expect me sometime during the afternoon." He nodded his head and said "We are grateful for your help. Many knights were captured during the raid. It would have cost us a lot of money to release them." I shrugged. "I had my crew to release as well." "I hope your wound gets better," he said as he nodded, and after giving a fleeting soft look to Sara hurried out. I looked at Sara closely to see a very dilute blush.

"Is there something going on between you and Antonio?" I asked. "Well, not exactly- I mean-" "They're seeing each other," Monika interrupted. "No we're not! We're-we hold a fondness to each other, we're-close friends," Sara stuttered. "Relax, I'm not gonna blow your secret. We know how it is to keep secrets, right Jack?" I said, referring to when he was on the run from the Kraken. "Aye, love." he replied.

"Not that I want to be rude or anything, ladies, but I think that Pia needs to rest now," he continued. I scowled at him. "You're right, perhaps it's better if we go," Monika replied as they stood up and went out.

"Careful Sparrow, you might end up in the brig," I grumbled as I laid down with difficulty. He chuckled and said "Me crew'd never do that to me, love. Now go to sleep, you're tired." "No, I'm not," I yawned. "Yes, you are," he said as I stifled another yawn. My eyes were closing slowly by themselves. "You doped me," I mumbled. I vaguely remember him saying "Pirate," with his ever-present cocky smirk.

~Later on~  
I was warm, too warm to be comfortable. (It was summer, remember?) As my senses came more into focus, I felt a pair of strong arms tightening around my waist, binging me closer to someone's, which I suspected was Jack, chest. "Jack," I mumbled groggily, "What time is it?"

"Six in the evening, love," he replied, his chest vibrating. "_What_?!" I exclaimed as I slowly sat up. "Aye, love. Some poshy noble woman dropped by and left you a dress to wear when going to visit the grandmaster." he replied. "Ha, as if I'm going to wear a _dress_. Come on, help me up, let's go over to _the_ _Pearl_ to see what I can find," I said. He put one arm under my knees and the other under my back, lifting me up bridal-style. "I said, help me up, not carry me," I sighed as I settled against his chest. "Aye, but this is quicker, love," he replied, dropping a quick kiss to my forehead.

Moments later, we were in Jack's cabin, shuffling and ruffling around in chests in search for slightly better clothes. "Love, you're a captain now. You should dress slightly more...fancy," he said motioning with his hands and watching me take out a white shirt. "I know," I replied as I took out pair of brown pants and brownish stays. "Where did you get this?" I smirked as I lifted the stays for Jack to see. He opened his mouth to respond but I interrupted him. "No, don't respond that. I know where," I said, chuckling. I took out a very light coat, brown in colour. It seemed to be made of linen, but still gave the appearance of being a 'proper' heavy one. I also found a black leather tricorn hat, which had a brownish tint. I pulled myself up as I pointed towards the door.

"Love, you sure you don't need help?" He said. "Don't make me scream bloody murder," I replied. "But-" I opened my mouth to scream. "Alright- alright I'm going." And with that, he hurried out. I took off my clothes, and was pleased to discover that my chest and stomach was wrapped tightly in bandages.

I put on the white shirt and brown pants which I had found and my own brown boots. I tried to put on the light-brown stays on the shirt, really I did, but twisting my hands around my back to tie up intricate laces was not my forte, especially with the wound in my chest. So I had to call Jack for help, rather reluctantly, might I add. Next came the sash, the sword, pistols and daggers, the coat and hat. I also managed to pilfer one of his kohl-liners, and moments later I had my eyes surrounded by black, similar to Jack's but with a bit more style.

"So do I look like a female version of you, or what?" I said as I imitated his swagger. "Aye, love. Although, you don't have me suave attitude," he chuckled as he slipped his arm around my shoulders to help me walk down the gang-plank. "That was something I left out intentionally," I replied smartly.

Moments later, we were sitting across Carafa in the Grandmaster's palace's sitting room. We decided that Jack was to act as the translator again so as not to strike suspicious (meaning the ring was put safely in my pocket). Carafa said something. "He said that he hopes that your wound is nothing serious," Jack said. "Tell him that I'll survive," I replied as Jack translated my words. "He said that's he's grateful for releasing the captured people. Some of them were knights and would've been very expensive to redeem them back. He said that if they can do anything for you, name it and they'll do their best." I paused, trying to thinking. I didn't really need anything, except-"Tell him, that if he wants, it would be gratifying if they provided my ship with red sails and renamed my ship." I said. Jack translated my words and turned to me with a grin on his face. "He asked what's your ship's new name, love."

I smiled at him and looked out of the window, trying to think of a name. I thought of the red sails which I had requested and the night's sky. "_The_ _Red_ _Star_," I said, hearing my own voice as if in a trance.

Time passed so quickly that it left me quite breathless when I looked back. My family and I (and Jack) became incredibly close to each other. We also became close friends to Sara and Antonio, who were planning on eloping to Italy so that they could get married.

However, their whishes never came true. You see, there was another corsair attack (they were quite common) and Sara was abducted by them. _The_ _Pearl's_ function, for the time we spent there, was to chase the offending ship, attack it and release the hostages. Our 'pay' was taking whatever plunder they had. Needless to say, we chased the ship (that had taken her), with a very frantic Antonio onboard. We caught up with it, alright. But Sara was killed.

Killed when she helped her beloved, killed when an enemy pirate stabbed her in the small of her back with a scimitar. Poor Antonio nearly went mad with grief. I remember the scene quite clearly, how Antonio wept, literally wept, while hugging Sara's dead body. Even if I wanted to forget, I couldn't. I couldn't forget Antonio, looking all noble, in gleaming silver armour, covered in blood, hugging the slender body of a beautiful peasant girl with an angry lethal gash in her stomach, grieving for his dead love.

Jack had spent the entire evening quiet, pale-looking and intent on knocking himself out with rum. "That could've easily been you when you were shot, love," Jack had said that night, just before we went to sleep as he tightened his hold around me almost painfully. "When I saw him grieving over her, I couldn't stop imagining meself in his situation," he slurred before he passed out.

**Alrighty mighty, hope ya enjoyed it! Leave a couple of reviews on your way out, they brighten my day. See ya (probably next year)! Happy New Year!**


	38. Man Overboard!: Chapter 38

**I really appologize for posting this late, but my pendrive decided it would be fun to delete my story document. Luckily I only had the introduction of this chapter that I hadn't published. Anyway, I'd love to thank my lovely reviewers In-Love-With-Remus-Lupin, SoftlySpokenHeart and FunnyLittleMe. Thank you! Thank you for yur support I really appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own POTC.**

I don't know if I already told you, but my ship was a large brigantine. It was about 110 feet long and the beam (breadth) was about twenty eight to thirty feet, it had oars and quite a large amount of sails. The only thing that I didn't like was that it could only take sixteen cannons.

My ship went through several changes. The plaque on the stern, which had the former name written in Arabic, was removed and one bearing the name '_The Red Star_' was placed instead of it. The crew's bunk was thoroughly cleaned, the hammocks and my Cabin's mattress replaced, the sails replaced with the new red ones I had requested, the galley stocked to brim with food but we had a shortage of rum. My ship was also careened and the bottom freed of any barnacles (as was the _Pearl_). All in all, my _Star_ and Jack's _Pearl_, by the end of our stay, looked quite new.

I didn't employ any new crew members, even though my ship could take up to a hundred and twenty crewmen (you know, the less crewmen there were on board, the larger each share would be). However, it was possible to crew her with only six men (if they were hardworking and didn't encounter any battles). Jack and I decided to split his crew and when we arrived back to the Caribbean, they were to go back to _The Pearl_ and Gibbs was to help me find a new crew. Jack kept Mr. Cotton, Mr. Gibbs, LeJon, Marty, Hendry Cutts, Spencer Sinclair and Nigzer. Those that agreed to join my crew were Pintel, Ragetti, John Smith, Emma, Elizabeth and Mr. Remington.

"Alright gentlemen and ladies," I began just before we set sail. "I'm not going to hide the facts. We're short on crewmen and we've got loads of valuables. We must not get into any battles. When we get back to the Caribbean, you may go back to _The Black Pearl_ or stay on _The Red Star_. But, until we arrive I have a couple of rules which I expect you to abide by. I expect everyone, including you Lizzie and Emma, to work as hard as possible and some more. You will be rewarded handsomely once we arrive at our destination. There will be absolutely no whoring around on my ship. And this one is especially for men; you will not disobey or disrespect me because I'm a woman. Is everything clear?" I finished my speech and waited for them to respond back. There was a lot of "Aye Captain."s and I was satisfied.

"Right then, weigh anchor and hoist the sails and raise the colours! Let's get back home with honour and pride boys and girls!" I said. And so our tiny armada, consisting of Jack's slightly masculine black-sailed _Black Pearl_ and my slightly feminine smaller red-sailed _Red Star_, set sail.

We tracked back the way we came from and the monotony was broken one sunny morning when Pintel, who had taken to climbing masts to check the sails, shouted "_Man overboard_!" I went into '_commanding mode_' in a split second. "Smith, at the helm! Emma and Lizzie, alert Jack of our new findings and signal for him to stop the ship! Mr. Remington, you have a new patient! Pintel and Ragetti, to the longboat!" And in the matter of a few seconds we were rowing towards the small bobbing figure.

I took out my spyglass and was greeted by a familiar figure with dark brown hair, clutching to a barrel and unconscious. Pintel and Ragetti were arguing about something trivial. "Shut up and row!" I barked and instantly their bickering stopped and the rowing speed increased. "_Oh my God!_" I gasped as soon as I saw who he was and the state in which he was. We hauled him back to the longboat and hurried as fast as we could back to _the Star_. The ropes were tossed and the boat raised with alarming speed. He was picked up by Pintel and Ragetti and hurried to my cabin.

Elizabeth was looking towards my cabin with a frown, not quite sure if she knew the person or not. "Lizzie, you might want to come to my cabin," I said softly as we walked over to said room and closed the door. She stopped dead in her tracks, not quite wanting to believe who she was looking at. Her eyes were wide, her stance perfectly still and straight and she had stopped breathing. "Elizabeth?" I questioned, worried that we were going to have two patients instead of one.

"Will!" She gasped as she literally flew over to the bed.

That's right; the person we had found was Will Turner, Captain of the Flying Dutchman. "Captain, we'll be needing some warm broth, immediately. He is terribly malnourished, and soup would be quenching both hunger and thirst," Mr. Remington said. "Right. I'll go check if Emma has some leftovers. There are some towels in that chest," I replied, pointing to an open chest and hurried over to Emma. Her main jobs were cooking, repairing any torn clothing or sails and sharpening any dulled knives or swords. I ran over to the galley and found Emma peeling some potatoes which we had bought from our last stop. "Emma! Is there any broth or soup left from yesterday?" I asked, slightly breathless. She shook her and opened her mouth to respond. "Bugger!" I cursed and ran out of the galley without giving her any time to respond.

"Pintel! Ragetti! Where the bloody hell are you?" I shouted looking around wildly. I jumped in surprise, seeing as they were right behind me and had given me quite a shock when they responded. "Row over to the Pearl, tell Nigzer that we need some soup without delay. Tell Jack that I told him to give you a shirt, pants and some type of boots," I said all in one breath. They stared at me as if I had sprouted a couple of extra heads. "Come on, snap to! No dilly dallying or I'll have both of you thrown in the brig without food for a week!" I threatened, whipping my hands here and there in a very Jack-like manner unintentionally. "Aye Captain!" they replied and they were gone in a couple of seconds.

You might ask, '_Why all the hassle? You don't really know him, anyway._' True, I didn't know him, but if it wasn't for him, I would have been still under Jones' command. '_Speaking of which, wasn't Turner supposed to be immortal-like and aboard the Dutchman? Then how in the seven seas did he manage to turn up in the sea holding on to a barrel?_' I thought, pacing around. '_There must be a new Captain on the Dutchman, it's impossible that it ceased to exist. Otherwise we'd end up infested with ghosts. Then how is Turner still alive? Isn't it supposed to be that to 'disengage' from his duty by having someone stab his heart?' _

"Captain?" I looked up and realized that they had arrived with the objects I had ordered them, and Jack. "Hand them here," I ordered as I took them from their hands. "He's in the Cabin," I told Jack as we hurried over to my cabin. I handed everything to Remington and Elizabeth and turned to go out, while they changed his sodden clothes.

However, Jack was motionless in the doorway with his mouth hanging wide open. "I swear on pain o' death that I haven't had a _single drop_ of rum today," he said, swaying his finger around. "Or else I finally succeeded in going insane," he continued. Obviously, Pintel and Ragetti had failed to tell him that the person we had found was Turner. I pulled him out from his sleeve and closed the door behind us. "Jack, you're not hallucinating. He's Will Turner," I said.

**So, hope ya liked! Please leave a couple of reviews, they really make my day! Anyway, got to go. Thanks for reading! Till next time then.**


	39. A Healthy Dose of Gossip: Chapter 39

**So, this is chapter 39. I apologize for the wait. But I was terribly busy. Anyway, I'd like to thank my reviewers ****FunnyLittleMe****, ****LivelyRose**** and ****SoftlySpokenHeart****. Thanks a lot people! You have no idea how much your support means to me!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC. The mouse still won't share, any ideas how I might convince him?**

"So let me get this straight, Calypso gave you back your heart and relieved you from _the Dutchman_? You're normal-like again?" I asked, pacing around in my cabin. Will was resting in my bed with Elizabeth sitting next to him and Jack sitting in a large armchair. "That's right," Will replied, "Although, I really have no idea why she had a sudden change of heart." He continued shrugging.

I looked out of the window, trying to hide my minute wince, however Jack wasn't fooled. "You know why, don't you love?" he asked after tipping the remaining contents of rum in his mouth. "Who? Me? I don't know what you're talking about," I lied quickly, trying to dismiss him. "Oh come on, darling, you can tell me," he said as he stood up and walked towards me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Is there something that maybe I should I know?" Will asked Elizabeth quietly. "Yes, but-"she interrupted herself with a shrug. "I don't know what to say myself. She's nearly as ambiguous as Jack. You'll see what I mean," Elizabeth said. In the meantime Jack had managed to capture my eyes with his gaze and wrap his arms tighter around me, while stroking my sides softly with his fingers. "Jack, as enjoyable as it is for you, we'd appreciate if you stopped your ministrations on the poor woman," Will said.

I managed to slip away from his arms. "No manhandling the captain, you'll only earn yourself a week in the brig," I said wagging a finger at Jack and trying to calm my beating heart. He smirked and said "Well, are you going to tell us or not?" "Tell you what?" I asked. "Why dear William is no longer bound to _the Dutchman_." He replied swaying his hands around. I could have lied if I wanted to; I was very gifted as a liar. But I realized that I'd have to tell the truth sooner or later, so I decided to stick with the truth. I waved my hand as if it was nothing. "I asked Calypso to ease up a bit on you. You say she replaced you?" I said as Will nodded his head."Who's the new Captain?" Jack asked frowning.

"Davy Jones."

Will's simple two words made my blood run cold and I froze. I turned my head slowly to look at him, my eyes wide open. "Who?" I whispered. "Davy Jones," he said again, confirming my fears. I don't know how I looked, but I'm pretty sure that my eyes were wide, my eyebrows nearly knitting in a frown and my mouth parted in horror. I forgot about everything, literally everything, except Will and the news he had brought. I vaguely remember his surprised look.

"You're joking," I stated. I felt someone tugging at my sleeve. I looked over to see Elizabeth with a worried expression. "Please, tell me you didn't strike a deal with him as well," she said softly. I looked at her without replying and looked over to Jack, who was just as shocked as I was. "Bugger!" I cursed as I ran out on deck and everyone, who was chatting and relaxed, looked up at me as if I had sprouted three heads.

"Jack! Back to your ship! Now!" I shouted as I ran inside. He was still staring transfixed at Will in horror. "For God's sake, you bloody fool! We need to get back to the Caribbean!" I said as I grabbed his coat sleeve and hauled him outside. I pushed him towards the boat before I started climbing up the rigging to the crow's nest to alert _the Pearl's_ crew to start with the preparations for our leave. "Mr. Gibbs! Prepare to make sail!" I shouted before I hurried back down. I admit, I slipped a couple of times while climbing down but I made it back on deck without any mishap. "All hands on deck! Weigh anchor! Make fast the bunt gasket! Scurry on! We need movement!" I shouted as I rushed over to the helm.

'_Why all the panic?_' You might ask. We had just found Will in the sea, meaning that _the Dutchman_ was somewhere nearby. And we were staying there just like a sitting duck. And I wouldn't have been surprised if Jones had already found himself a new pet-monster. "Brace up the foreyard! Step to, gents. I want to get back to the Caribbean as quickly as possible! And quicker than that!" I shouted. I looked over to _the Pearl_ to see similar activities going on, which meant that Jack had made it to _the Pearl_ and was probably harassing his crew in order to set sail.

"Captain, your orders they're-" I looked up to see Smith walking towards me, ready to complain. As quick as lightning I took out my pistol and aimed it at his head. "I said: I want-movement!" I said, spitting the last part. "But-" "If you want to end up prey to Jones, than fine by me! I don't give a bloody rat's ass! But get off my ship if that be the case!" I shouted, still aiming the pistol. As soon as he heard Jones name, the colour in his face vanished and he rushed back on deck to continue with his duties.

"I thought not," I whispered to myself, steering my ship. "Come on, my _Star_, show me what ye got," I whispered as I squeezed lightly one of the wheel's spokes while I steered to the starboard side to avoid a particularly large reef which I had seen during my climb to the nest.

We covered many leagues that day, and I was quite pleased to discover that my ship could keep up with _the Pearl_ (due to my ship's smaller size and large amounts of sails) if I pushed her. I was very impressed; from the middle of the Atlantic we managed to reach Bermuda. Of course, the sea seemed to be helping us, along with the wind, but what we managed to achieve was quite a feat. To cut a long story short, we reached Tortuga the following evening, again the wind and sea seemed to be favouring us.

Third person's P.O.V.  
Nothing was different in the island of Tortuga that evening; men were finding their way to the nearest tavern to get drunk, harlots were walking the streets and 'fishing' for customers, ships were loading and unloading cargo and several boats dotted the bay. Two ships, one made of dark wood and black sails, the other made of light coloured wood and red sails were sailing towards Tortuga's busy port and two sailors were gossiping on the dock.

"Done a bit o' business last week. I'll wring 'is neck if I ever catch that bloody bugger." One sailor said. "Who cheated ye? Sparrow?" His friend asked. "Nay. Haven' heard of that rascal fer months now. Heard he got himself some lady friend," sailor one replied. Sailor two snorted. "Sparrow? Him always has lady friends in every other port. She be just another one ter add to the list." he said.

Sailor one shook his head, disagreeing with his companion. "Heard she got him all strung up and wrapped around 'er little finger like. Me heard he sailed ter the Mediterranean jus' 'cause she wanted." "That's mighty interesting. Got 'imself some tart, most likely." Sailor two commented. Sailor one shook his head again. "She be no tart. Heard they were childhood sweethearts, real close like. Her name was some Penny Stinger or summat like tha' anyway."

"Ye don't mean Pia Sterlin, do ye?" Sailor two asked. "Aye! Aye, that be the one!" exclaimed sailor one. "Damn. Tha' wench got some fine booty about 'er. Trust that scoundrel ter get some o' the best. She's a shrew though, gives no man no nothing," sailor two grumbled. Sailor one nodded his head in agreement as his friend chuckled. "Sparrow's a ladies' man. I wonder how he's copin', I don't think he be gettin' some ever' time he wants. He be lucky if he gets any at all," sailor two said. They laughed as they dragged themselves to the Faithful Bride.

The two ships only had a couple of miles left to cover, and with the wind in their favour, they docked in two hours.

**That's all for today! Hope you enjoyed my chapter! Oh, and by the way, if you leave reviews, I might be convinced to update faster. Till next then!**


	40. Setting the Code of Conduct: Chapter 40

**Alrighty people, this is chapter 40. Hope ya like it! Oh, and I'd like to thank ****FunnyLittleMe**** for the comment. Thanks a lot, dearie, I really appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC, if I did I'd be rich, rich, rich.**

Pia's Point of View

Before we docked, I decided to, how should I say it, _'dress up'_ to my name. So after a lot of rummaging in the holds, I managed to scavenge some clothes-filled chests. So after taking a warm bath, and adding some rose scented oils, brushing my hair, for what felt like was the first time in years I set out to decide how to 'change' my attire for that evening.

I found a pair of black tight fitting breeches, a silk shirt (that with a little tweaking I managed to get it past my shoulders). I also found a black corset with the upper part being red, which I put on over the shirt, obviously not too tight. Then I found a satin sash with golden embroidery, a black belt and baldric, a red bandanna and a large black leather tricorn hat with a black leather flower-like thing sewn to the side. To complete my outfit I put on a new pair of black leather knee high bucket-tops boots and a red coat which was made of linen, like Jack's. I then put my two pistols (the white and brown ones) in the satin sash, hung the sword and its sheath to the baldric, put the boot dagger in my boot and tied the remaining two daggers one per arm. The final touches were Calypso's snake bangle and the '_language ring_', as I had taken to calling it.

When we docked, the first thing I did was to split the treasure between all the crew mates; it wouldn't have been in my benefit if I got a reputation as a miser captain. There were only about six persons in my crew and the treasure was quite large, so obviously everyone had enough gold to last for the rest of their lives. But you know how it goes; we were pirates in a pirate town, which meant that the gold was going to be spent on whores, alcohol, gambling or getting stolen. Seeing as I was Captain, I had one and a half full share and the others one share. There weren't any official posts, such as boatswains, gunners...so I couldn't quite share the booty by the book. But anyway, everyone was content with their share so I didn't worry much.

"Anyone wants to remain as part of my crew?" I asked, once we finished splitting. Only John Smith, Emma, Elizabeth and Will raised their hands. "Right then, the plan is to spend a week in Tortuga. Keep together though, we might set sail in short notice. You four," I said to Smith, Emma, Lizzie and Will, "Will have to sign the Code of Conduct, or Articles, whichever you prefer. It'll be ready by tomorrow evening. Alright then, ladies and gents, you may go." I said and everyone hurried down the gangplank, eager to feel solid land beneath their feet once again.

The land beneath my feet felt wobbly, and I looked like a female version of Jack. "There you are, darlin'. I thought ye were gonna spend yer time on _the Star_," Jack said, who had materialized behind me. "Nah. I'm gonna go find ol' Tom and have him careen her and repair any damage," I replied. He smirked as he observed my attire "Lovely outfit, love. Although I must say, I'd very much enjoy removing them," he said as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I smirked at him, "Well, you're going to have to keep on wishing then, 'cause I have a reputation to build up," I said as I slipped from his warm grip and walked to a tiny wooden stall. "That's a good idea, love," Jack replied, following me and swaying dangerously from side to side.

"Hey Tom," I said as I stopped in front of the wooden stall, where a tiny wrinkled old man was sleeping. He grunted as he opened one eye. "Whatta ye want, lass?" he groaned, cracking his back. "Careen my ship. And add a couple o' swivel guns on deck as well. You can do that, can't you?" I said. "Which 'un?" he said, his face brightening in interest. "The red sailed one. I'll pay ye when you're ready, do we have an accord?" I said, sticking my hand out. "Aye, lass. She's a beauty, your ship is. The same fer yours, Captain?" Tom asked as he turned towards Jack. "Aye, Tom, just don't add the guns to me ship. I'll pay ye when ye're finished as well. Ye wouldn't mind keepin' an eye on our ships, would ye? We'll pay o'course" Jack said as Tom nodded. He turned to shout for his workers, who immediately set to work, bringing their tools and boarding the ship.

Jack slipped an arm around my waist as we sauntered to _the Faithful Bride_. There we met Gibbs, who had agreed to find me a faithful loyal crew. He had set up a table at a corner and was interrogating some people. Three of them were women, I had told him that I had no problem whatsoever with female workers, as long as they were able to work. We walked over to him and set at a bench just behind him.

'So, how're we doing?" I asked as I motioned over for a barmaid to bring us a tankard of rum. "None of 'em were fit. We'll see what we'll find later on, lass," Gibbs replied as a large beefy rather cross and quarrelsome looking woman stepped up.

"So, why do you think that you should make part of _The Red Star's_ crew?" Gibbs asked pleasantly as a bar maid placed a tankard of rum by his elbow. "I wanna work on a ship," the quarrelsome woman replied, crossing her arms and scowling. "Look at this, I think we're gonna have an interesting scene," I whispered to Jack as we turned to observe the scene in front of us. Gibbs raised his eyebrows "That ain't enough, lass." he replied. "This is all because I'm a woman, innit?" She growled, failing to notice the two other women waiting behind her. Gibbs opened his mouth to respond to her but she beat him to it. "Well, ye can tell _the Star's_ bloody Captain, that just 'cause his crew are all men, that ain't meanin' I'm no good at sailin', ye tell 'im that," she hissed. I stood up, thinking that Gibbs had already allowed her to blabber for too long.

"He doesn't have to tell the Captain anything, because the Captain is already here and you can tell said Captain yourself," I said as I strolled casually over to them. By now we had already attracted a decent amount of audience and several people were staring openly at us. "That be better, where is he?" She said, frowning. I rolled my eyes. "_He_ does not exist, because I am definitely not a _he_," I replied, crossing my arms. Several whispers traveled around us as she snorted her derision.

"_You?_ Who in their right mind would put a little bint of a girl, such as ye, as their _captain_?" She sniggered, thinking that I was bluffing. I raised my eyebrows at her. "Someone that values brains more than arrogance," I replied. "Such as?" She taunted I was about to respond with another cheeky answer, but another voice, which belonged neither to me, her or Gibbs responded her. "Me," Elizabeth replied. The woman raised her eyebrows again and said "And ye are?" "Elizabeth Turner," Lizzie answered. "_Turner_?" the woman questioned stupidly as if she had already heard the name but had forgotten where.

"Aye, so now you'd be doing us a favour if you scurried away back to where you came from," another voice said. "And ye are?" she asked. "That depends on who you are," Jack replied. "Agnes Worley," she replied rudely. "Captain Jack Sparrow at your service, m'lady," he said sardonically as he gave a mocking bow. "Now if, you'll excuse us, we have no more time to loose on petty discussions," he continued as he slid his arm around my waist and steered me to our table. Worley snarled and stomped away as we burst up laughing.

"Did you bring the quill and parchment I asked you to?" I asked Gibbs who was questioning the third woman. "Aye lass," he said as he slid them towards me on the table. I noticed that the other two women were employed as they sat with _the Pearl's_ crew at our table as I started writing my ship's _'Code of Conduct_' or, as they were more commonly referred to, "_Captain's Articles_', which were the following:

1. Every man and woman shall obey the Captain's Command and hence any person appointed by the Captain to act in aforementioned Captain's place.

2. Every man and woman shall receive their share according to their rank meaning the Captain one full share and a half, First Mate, Carpenter, Bo'sun, Doctor and Cook a full share and a quarter, the rest a full share. The ship's repair and stocks shall be the responsibility of the Captain as said Captain has the largest share and ownership of _The Red Star_.

3. Every man and woman is required to show courage, fortitude and loyalty to the Captain in the face of danger or otherwise. Any man or woman offers to run away from battle without Captain's command shall receive half the usual share unless stated otherwise.

4. Every man and woman has an equal vote and right.

5. Anyone who is responsible for stealing from the ship's holds or another fellow crew-mate shall repay said object's amount by a tenfold.

6. Every man and woman is required to keep his or her skill in swordsmanship and shooting sharp by swords-play at least an hour a week.

7. If any man or woman loses a joint in time of engagement, he or she receives 400 pieces of eight, if a limb 800.

8. If any man or woman conspires against the Captain and crew shall receive punishment as the crew and Captain sees fit.

9. No fights are to be held on the ship, every quarrel shall be settled on land as the quarrelers see fit.

10. No man or woman is to bed a child. No man or woman is to bed another person without their consent. Anyone found guilty of forcing a child shall receive Moses' Law (forty stripes lacking one) on the bare back with the Cat o' Nine Tails and then death. Anyone found guilty of forcing another person shall receive Moses' Law on the bare back with the Cat o' Nine Tails and then marooned with a single bottle of water, a pistol with one shot and a sword.

11. Strictly no children are to be killed. Anyone found guilty of hurting or slaughtering a child shall receive death.

**Alright, I hope you liked it. Please a couple of reviews on your way out, the button is such a pretty little green thing : ).**


	41. Happily ever after, or not?: Chapter 41

**Alrighty people, here's chapter 41 for ya. My thanks this time go to** **MoonlitSorrows****, FunnyLittleMe and Arquero333. Thank you for your lovely reviews!**

**Reply to MoonlitSorrows:**

**Hi, thanks a lot for your review, I really appreciate it! I'm glad that you enjoyed my story so much, I hope you like this chapter too.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly I'm not the owner of POTC.  
**

To say that I was proud with _The Red Star_ would be an understatement. Most probably you're wondering as to what my Jolly Roger looked like. My flag was black with a white skull looking at a red compass. The red flag (which I hoped never to use) was (obviously) red with a white skull and compass, only this time it was coloured black. Maybe you're wondering why I hoped never to use the red flag; this was because the red flag meant '_no quarter given_' or '_no mercy_'. I know pirates are supposed to be heartless unfeeling bastards, but it doesn't mean that I had to follow the norm, does it?

Anyway, Gibbs managed to find for me a nice crew. Even though I allowed women on my ship, only two chose to work for me; Mabel, a forty something year old woman, and Beatrice, a nineteen year old. Apparently, Beatrice had gotten in some kind of trouble and the only way to avoid it was by prostitution. She didn't want that and decided to run away from her problem, literally.

Speaking of prostitutes, most probably you remember our (meaning Jack and I) little argument with Giselle. No, we didn't run into her this time, but into her partner in crime, Scarlett. "Scarlett!" I exclaimed as I soon as I saw her. "Pia!" she exclaimed in delight as we hugged each other, giggling like a couple of children. "What are you doing here? I thought you had run off on _the Black Pearl_," she said, lips smiling and eyes sparkling in amusement. "Oh, I did! But now I'm captain of my own ship, _The Red Star_," I replied as we walked back to where Jack was standing, grimacing and looking as if he had a painful tooth.

She stopped as soon as she saw him. "What is he doing here?" She shrieked, her hand rising to give him a slap, no doubt. "Ah ah, none of that," I said as I grabbed her hand and pulled it back. "He's a-friend of mine, sort of. It's rather complicated, actually," I said, hoping not to dive in our relationship. In all honesty, I still didn't know where we stood. "Anyway, I have something for you," I said as I plunged my hand in my red coat's pocket. See how useful it is to carry around a piece of treasure with you?

"Ah, here it is!" I said as I took out a golden brooch with a rose carved out of a ruby surrounded by tiny stars carved from diamonds and handed it to her. Needless to say, she was speechless. "F-for _me_?" She stuttered. "Aye, Scarlett, I'm really happy with meeting you and all, but I have to go. I have a ship to tend to," I said. "Right, then. Make sure you don't hurt her Sparrow, or I'll make sure to castrate you! See you next time, and thank you!" She said as she was swallowed in the drunken crowd.

"That, was not nice, love. Not nice at all," Jack whispered in my ear as he tightened his arm around my waist. "Oh, come one. She's my friend. She's really nice once you get to know her," I said as we walked back to the docks. He grimaced, "You're friends with..._her_? But, love, she's one of ol' Jack's worst enemies," he said. "Why?" I snorted, "Because she threatened to have you castrated?" "Darlin', that's a very serious offense to make to a man like me, hence the enmity," he said, gesturing around with his hands. "I'll choose not to comment," I snorted, trying to stop laughing as we boarded my ship.

"Ah, o'course, love. You wouldn't like that would you? Not at _all_," he whispered slyly as he turned me around and pressed my back to the main mast. "Well, depends on the situation, doesn't it?" I whispered as my hands slowly slid to his shoulders. His lips closed over mine in a heated kiss. "Why don't you find out?" I whispered in his ear as he broke the kiss for air. "Oh, trust me, love. I have _every_ intention of finding out, this very same night," he replied huskily, as his lips sealed mine once again.

We spent the following months pillaging, plundering, looting and holding people for ransom. I'm proud to say that we were lucky enough to capture Beckett's newest fiancée. Obviously I wanted to claim responsibility for it, to show him that I never intended to quit piracy. She was quite a beauty, with yellow hair and green eyes, but she was terribly haughty. She got it through her head that she was some kind of martyr, imagine _that_! And the treatment we gave her was fit for a queen!

We, my crew and Jack's, Jack and I, got quite close, and every time we went on a raid, we were always working together, so obviously I and my ship became nearly as famous as Jack and the _Pearl_.

I made Will my first mate, seeing as he was very knowledgeable, and Smith as the Bo'sun. His main job, apart from the usual sailor's tasks, was taking care of every day discipline.

It was my definition of '_happily ever after_', seeing as we were getting richer by the day, the crew was faithful and we had seen no sign of Jones yet. The only thing that bothered me was that Bootstrap was still on the _Dutchman_. But, as they say, you can't have everything you wish for, right? And my story continues when one night, Jack and I docked at an uninhabited island to spend a night at shore with both crews...

Both ships were docked at a natural port, but we were staying on a small sand beach. There was one big fire in the middle where a wild pig, caught by a hunting party, was slowly roasting on a spit. Several bottles of rum and other alcohols were being drunk. A couple of sailors from my crew, who knew how to play the drums, bagpipes and guitars, and a whole lot of others were singing several sea shanties, the dominant one being '_Drunken Sailor_'. I was, once again, in a skirt. Jack made me do it, don't ask, though it might interest you that Jack ended limping after our argument.

I was in a blue skirt (which once belonged to my sister Monika) a white shirt with my loose black corset, black boots, red sash and obviously my weapons and hat. "Come on, let's dance," Jack said pulling me to my feet. "But-" "Don't say you don't know how to, because you do," he said. To my dismay, his limp seemed to disappear, meaning that I had to go along with him. I won't describe how we danced and all that stuff, because to my dismay I found that I remembered how.

"Alright, that's it," I said once the song finished. "But-" he started, with pleading eyes. "I'm going to sing and play the guitar," I said as I plucked said instrument from Tobias, a man from my crew. I sat on the sand, quietly strumming the guitar. "What, never seen a woman play the guitar before?" I questioned without looking up, I didn't need anyone to tell me that everyone was staring at me.

"You were actually telling the truth," Emma piped up. I snorted. "Of course, I do that quite a lot actually," I replied. "Now, my music may sound a bit rusty, I haven't played for God knows how long," I warned as I flexed my fingers and started playing. "Remember this?" I asked Emma as the first few notes of the song I had composed, once long ago, started floating in the evening air. "'Course I do, freaked Lady Amelia out of her bloody mind," she chuckled. I chuckled and began singing the first couple of lines.

With a hi hi ho and a hi hi hey  
We're hoisting the flag to be free  
We will steal the show, Jolly Rogers go  
We are wolves of the sea....

Long story short, we spent the evening carousing on the tiny beach. Everyone agreed that we were to sleep on this beach seeing as the island was uninhabited and so there was no danger, or so we thought. The moon sailed across the sky, bringing with it the peaceful sleep hours for everyone, excluding me. I couldn't sleep. The soft breeze whispering through the trees was too lovely to ignore and, as if in a trance, I got up and walked towards the little forest.

It was quite lovely; the wind was swishing the trees' leaves, carrying their soft scent, the closed petal buds were bowing their heads. From between the trunks the view of the scene appeared like something out of a picture. The calm waves were gently sloping against the pebble beach. The stars were looking down to the tranquil waters, observing their reflections and the cold marble moon was casting a cool silvery light, illuminating everything in a magical glow. I sighed as I leaned against a tree, not quite believing that such beauty was possible on the earth.

I felt two arms wrap themselves around my waist, and didn't bother looking up, knowing that it was Jack. "Lovely, isn't it?" he whispered softly. I nodded my head lightly, gliding my hands over his, which were resting on my stomach. After a moments silence, Jack said "Couldn't sleep, darlin'?" "No," I replied. "I feel so at peace," I sighed after another stretch of silence. He kissed my neck and rested his head on my shoulder. "And I feel so tired," he groaned. "Then go and sleep," I replied, like it was something obvious. "Not without you, love," he replied. I sighed. "Come on then, you blundering baby. Let's stay here," I said, pointing towards a patch of grass.

I know what you're thinking, that the rest of the night was spent with Jack holding on to me. In fact, that's not what really happened. Jack laid his head on my lap to sleep while I spent the rest of the night brushing my fingers through his tangled dreadlocks and braids, not quite knowing that in a couple of hours life wouldn't remain as peaceful.

**Hope you liked it! I'm sorry if it was a little...off, but I had a bad case of writer's block. Anyway, I'd enjoy it very much if you left a little review! Till nest time :).**


	42. Most unscrupulous pirate: Chapter 42

**Hola! And here's chapter 41 for ya! Hope you like. I'd like to thank ****GalnKay****, ****Singing Tragedy**** and ****FunnyLittleMe**** for the lovely reviews. Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own POTC.**

"Captain!" A panicked voice said as Emma emerged out of the bushes, her blond hair flying around her in her hurry. It just so happened that I had just dozed off at that instant. I squeaked as I jerked awake, sending Jack's head to the ground.

His eyes snapped open and narrowed in pain as his head connected with the ground. "Me head's not a bloody plaything," he grumbled as he rubbed the offended skin. I scrambled up, sending dust flying around my skirt and leaves into Jack's face. I didn't even realize that he was growling in distaste.

"Three...in the port...just docked...men...coming down," she panted as she held her side, gasping. "Whoa whoa, slow down, rewind and repeat." I said frowning, it didn't sound very nice. "Three East India Men, you know those big ships...They just docked in the port. East India Trading Company men are coming on the island..._right now_!" She said, slightly better.

"Oh bugger," Jack groaned quietly.

"You mean...which port did they dock at again?" I asked, my heartbeat already beating fifty miles an hour. "The one near the cliffs," she replied. "We just have about enough time to make it! Back to the beach!" I said as I bunched up my skirt and ran helter skelter, towards the beach, nearly tripping in every twig and branch.

"EVERYONE WAKE UP! BACK TO THE SHIPS! MOVE, HURRY HURRY _HURRY_!" I shouted as I picked up my weapons from beside the extinguished fire pit. I strapped my sword to my baldric quickly, stuffed the pistols in my sash and quickly tied the two daggers to my inner forearm. Groans and grumbles from the waking crews made their way to my ears as I looked up and pushed my hat on my head. "Wha' in th' name o' Fiddler's Green's goin' on?" a severely hung over Pintel grumbled. "The Company has just docked on the other side," I replied as I started waking those who were still asleep.

"When ye say the 'Company', lass, d'ye mean..." Mr. Gibbs started, strapping his cutlass to his belt. "Beckett's Company," I finished his unfinished question as I emptied a bucket of sea water on a still sleeping Marty. "Lord, help us," Mr. Gibbs muttered as he helped Jack, Emma and I wake up everyone.

"It seems to me as if we need to make a quick getaway. We have two ships at our disposal, so just hurry up, savvy?" Jack said, managing to come up with a couple of difficult words, which I'm sure were not understood by everyone, even in a serious situation.

The hubbub that arose was unbelievable and to make matters worse, EITC men decided that it was the right time to discover the boarding crews. The cloth strapping my father's dagger to my arm was ripped in the confusion, and with a taunting silvery glint, the dagger fell away in the sand. "_No!_" I gasped as I dropped to my knees searching in the sand. "Don't worry, I got it for you," Elizabeth said as she waved my dagger and continued on her sprint to the ships.

Just as I was about to jump on my feet and follow her, I felt a hand grab my hair tightly and yank me backwards. Needless to say I fell backwards, but not before jabbing my elbow in the aggressor's stomach. A grunt of pain proved that my hit was true and I scrambled up again, sending a cloud of sand flying around. However, I was tackled from behind. "That actually-_hurt_!" I grunted spitting sand from my mouth as I twisted and kicked blindly, missing the intended spot.

"Well, well, well," a voice said. A voice which I hoped never to hear again. "What a pleasant surprise." "Pleasant for you and a bit sore for me. Ironic, isn't it?" I replied, holding my back as I stood up and looked into Beckett's hateful face. I heard the ships' sails unfurling and the waves hitting the hulls. _The Red Star_ and _the Black Pearl_ had set sail, leaving me behind in Beckett's company.

He sneered a cruel smirk and pivoted on his heels. "Fetch some irons, shackle her and back to the ships. We pursue both pirate ships," he said as I was shackled and thrown unceremoniously over an EITC man's shoulder.

"You'll never catch them," I grunted as I pushed against my carrier's back to lift my torso up. "Not even in a thousand years," I continued, twisting my neck around to look at Beckett. "We shall see, _Captain_," he said, using my title mockingly. I frowned at him. He was so sure that he would be able to catch them; it was almost as if he knew that he'd receive word of their destination.

"Who is he? Or she?" I asked him. He looked at me with an amused and surprised expression. "I have no idea who you're talking about," he replied. "Who's your double agent? _The traitor?_" I said. It was obvious how he managed to find the reclusive island at which we docked. The only thing that I didn't know was _who_ had sold us out. I didn't see him smirk, but I heard it in his voice as we boarded an East India Man. "Shocking what a single misjudged mistake could do, isn't it?" he said and turned around, hatred and abhorrence lining his face, as I was set down on my feet on the wooden deck. "I can promise you one thing, though; that you won't walk alive after this is over, Sterlin. I _will_ have your blood." he hissed.

"Uh, how scary," I exclaimed as I leaned forwards pouted my lips and opened my eyes to their fullest extent. I chuckled as he ground his teeth. "To my cabin, Mr. Marshall," Beckett said as he indicated the man who had thrown me over his shoulder and pointed to the Captain's Cabin. Beckett strode towards the cabin and Marshall made as if to pick me up again. However, I dodged his hands and sidestepped the large man. "I can walk you know," I muttered as I hurried in front of him before he could throw me over his shoulder again. I stepped into the bright airy cabin.

It was quite nice, not as nice as the _Star's_ or _Pearl's_ Cabin but in its own way it was pretty. A shock of nostalgia hit me without my realizing as I remembered my cabin…

It was quite large with a large bed covered with a dark blue satin blanket pushed to one corner, where Jack and I, well you know. In front of the bed were the large cabin windows, overlooking the sea. To the left side of the room, the desk was against the bulkhead. I always kept my desk surface clear, lest we would meet a storm, so all the maps were in a drawer, parchment, ink bottles and quills in another and the ship's log and the Articles in another.

On the other wall, opposite the desk, were two shelves, which I had filled with books and applied a sort of wooden cover to prevent books spilling around in my cabin during storms. Just underneath the two shelves I had placed a barrel of rum and a chest filled with my treasures and clothes was at the foot of the bed. Obviously the bed and desk were bolted to the floor.

"I'm quite positive I ordered you not to trust her," Beckett said, shattering the vision of my cabin. "Well at least he was a gentleman. I'm wearing a skirt, you know," I said as I kicked up lightly my blue skirt. I raised up my hands horizontally in front of me, holding out the shackles. "And I would I appreciate it if you remove the shackles, they're starting to numb my hands," I said. Beckett looked towards Marshall and nodded, who closed the door and handed Beckett the key to my shackles.

The shackles were removed and I was instantly pushed into a chair. Just then the door was pushed open and a black coated young EITC man tumbled in. "My Lord, we've lost track of them. It looks like they vanished from the horizon," he said. "Keep searching. And I happen to have a door for a reason," Beckett said silkily. "Yes, I'm sorry, my Lord," he mumbled as he lumbered out awkwardly and closed the door.

"So, where were we?" he said as I raised a finger and opened my mouth to respond him however, he cut me off as he sat in a chair and said "Ah, yes. We were about to start a pleasant conversation." "Is that so?" I said as I crossed my arms and legs. "Because what _I_ recall is your threat to have my blood. Not quite so pleasant, is it?" I chided.

"I apologize Captain Sterlin, I admit I was quite distraught at the time," he lied. "You know, I've been meaning to tell you something, but I've never had the opportune moment," I said using Jack's word as I pointed a finger at him and narrowed my eyes. "And what may that be?" he asked as he poured two glasses of wine and drained one of them. I drank half of mine and said "That you're the biggest and most unscrupulous pirate I've ever met." I said.

He looked at me stunned before stuttering "Me? A pirate? You're sorely mistaken; I try to dista-""Stop lying you corrupt _dog!_ Your _Company_ isn't a Trading Company as you boast. You're pirate-hunters, _that's_ what you are. Your _Laws_ state that association with pirates is punishable by death, yet here you are. And remind me again, how many _times_ did you back stab your business partners?" I hissed.

His eyes instantly hardened and his arm swept over the table top between us, sending both glasses crashing to the floor. He stood up, towering over my still sitting form. "I suggest you guard your trap, you may land yourself in trouble. What proof do you have that we do not trade, that I consort with _pirates_ and that I do not honour my end of the bargain?" he growled. I stood up as well.

"Proof? _Proof?!_ I'll give you your bloody proof. What the hell are you doing right now? Hunting Sparrow! Oh, I apologize. You do trade, you trade _slaves_! Have you forgotten your dealings with Sao Feng to deliver you Barbossa, Swann, Turner and Sparrow? Or your dealings with Jack to deliver you the Pirate Lords at Shipwreck Cove? Or with _me_ to give you all the information you need? Or the traitor on my or Jack's ship who has been feeding you information for God knows how long? And wasn't it you that promised Sao Feng the _Pearl_ if he worked with you. Yet did you give him the _Pearl_? Did you order Jones to free Bootstrap, after Turner tracked the way to Shipwreck Cove for you? You promised me Jack's safety if I agreed to your terms, which I did. Yet did you keep your end of the bargain? You're a _liar_, that's what you are! A fraud, a cheat, _A BLOODY PIRATE!_" I spat, shouting the last part in his face.

I remember his livid face quite well, his eyes sparkled in anger and his lip curled in a soundless snarl as he raised his hand and slapped me. I didn't think twice, I raised my hand and slapped him back. "Take this hellcat to the brigs. And make sure she has no weapons," he hissed and I felt Marshall's iron grip close around my wrists as I hauled out of the cabin.

**Alrighty mighty, hope ya like! Sorry so late, but I had some very difficult exams (still not finished as a matter of fact). Any reviews?  
**


	43. A New Pirate Lord: Chapter 43

**Here's the 43****rd**** chapter for you people! I want to thank everyone that stuck with me and this story till now (No, this isn't the ending; still got a lot more to go). My thanks go to ****Love_Jack_Sparrow**** and ****FunnyLittleMe**** for their lovely reviews. Thanks a lot!**

**Reply to ****Love_Jack_Sparrow****:**

**Hi, thanks a lot for the lovely comment! I really did appreciate it, it made my day! Well, we all know what a pain in the neck Beckett is and I thought that seeing as he's a pirate-hunter and all, our dear Captain Pia would run into him sooner or later. As a matter of fact I wasn't going to make jack appear in this chapter, but since you mentioned it; yes he appears again. I'm glad to know that you're a loyal reader, thanks again for your support!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.**

The bilge water splashed up my boots as I was thrown in the brig. "Give me back my skirt!" I yelped as I shook my leg free of the dirty water. They laughed as they clanked the brig-door shut and shook the keys in derision. "I said give me back my skirt, you lapdogs! That belongs to my sister!" I said shaking my fist at them in anger.

Yes, you understood right, when I found myself on Marshall's shoulder once again, a sailor pulled my skirt off 'for a lark'. You might think that they would respect me, what with me being a woman and all. What I was really grateful for, was for Jack's taunting (when I wasn't yet Beckett's prisoner) that the crew were going to look up my skirt. So to calm myself, I took a pair of black breeches and cut it around the middle of the thighs, so I had a sort of short pant-like thing on. Or maybe I wasn't really grateful, because if it hadn't been for Jack, I wouldn't have worn a skirt. I was wearing my black boots, the (very) short breeches, loose black corset under the white shirt and red sash. My hat had fallen off somewhere else.

I growled in distaste as I paced around the cell, not realizing that in the cell next to mine a very amused Captain was watching me. "You know all zis pacing is useless," he said with a French accent. I looked over at him and scowled at the blond wigged Capitaine Chevalle. "Stop looking at my legs with goo-goo eyes before I pluck 'em out," I growled. He shrugged. "Can't blame a man for looking and appreciating a beautiful thing," he said, drinking in my scantily clad form. "I'm not a bloody object," I spat back. He sighed and shook his head.

"Come here," he said beckoning towards his cell. "Why? So you'd look up my shirt as well?" I said. "No, you foolish Mademoiselle, I want to give you something," he sighed as he took a golden chain from around his neck. "Your roots lie from ze Mediterranean, yes?" he asked. "How do you know?" I said, answering his question with another question. The golden necklace and pendant swayed as his hand stuck through the bars towards me. I stepped towards him as he let go the necklace in my open palm.

"That is ze Pirate Lordship of ze Mediterranean. From now on, you are ze Mediterranean's Pirate Lord," he said, pushing his hat on his head. I must have looked like the picture of idiocy, with my head cocked to the side, wearing only a shirt, torn pants, boots and sash, necklace swinging back and forth and my mouth hanging open in shock. "How-wha-why? Why me?" I stuttered. "You 'appen to be 'ere and I am thinking of retirement from piracy. Can't do do zat if I'm still Pirate Lord, can I? and I 'appen to know zat a great deal of your heritage lies in there. " I closed my mouth and muttered "Um, sure," and slipped the golden chain around my neck. The pendant was a simple golden Piece of Eight.

As an afterthought, I took off the necklace Chevalle gave me, the Sparrow necklace and the Language Ring that Calypso had given me and put them in my empty boot dagger pocket. I also tried taking off the bangle, but it was futile as it seemed to get stuck around my wrist. The bangle was very simple; it had a snake head with small sapphire gems for eyes, a larger sapphire gem on its head and carvings. It then went around my wrist in smooth silver and the tail was wrapped around the snake head's neck; below the head.

I sat down on the wooden bench, which was bolted to the floor, and looked up to see Chevalle admiring my legs once again. "Will you please _stop_ looking at my legs? It's too creepy to handle in a prison cell," I said. "You are ze most interesting and beautiful thing that 'appened 'ere in two weeks. And as zey say, beauty is in ze eye of ze be'older, is it not?" he replied. I sighed and shook my head as I removed my boots turned around, so the top of my head was towards Chevalle and laid down on the bench. Time passed and I was so bored that the ship's gentle swaying and the wave's mild lapping against the hull lulled me to sleep. And so I spent my time until evening arrived.

Jack's point of view

We docked on yet another uninhabited island; we always planned that Pia was to follow my ship till we found a safe place, by following my compass' direction. "Oy, you Smith. Where's your Captain?" I said as soon as I saw Pia's bosun. He frowned as he looked at me. "Ye mean to say, that she wasn't on your ship, Cap'n?" he asked. "If she was on my ship, which she wasn't, it would make no sense at all my asking if she was on her ship, if you are going to ask me if she was on my ship, which I already said she wasn't." I said, getting frustrated. What was so hard about my bloody question?

"Jack, she was left behind," Elizabeth said from behind me. My nose and lip twitched, not quite wanting to believe her. "What do you mean, '_left behind_'? You don't just leave behind a Captain, Lizzie, darling," I said, getting even more frustrated. "She was captured by Beckett's men," Will said, coming up behind Elizabeth.

"And you bloody said nothing about it!" I exploded. Honestly, sometimes I think that I'm surrounded by bloody idiots. "I couldn't well say something, seeing as you were on the _Pearl_, and I on the _Star_," he replied, which didn't make sense at all. "That's wha' you have your mouth for, to shout," I said as I turned around to Mr. Gibbs. "Mr. Gibbs, back to me cabin and chart a course to Port Royal, _right now_!" I said as I turned around and hurried to the island's dense thicket of small shrubs and trees.

"Bugger! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Bloody wench for driving me out of me bloody mind!" I cursed as I kicked the sand in the trees' direction.

Pia's Point of View

I was woken up quite roughly. As a matter of fact, I don't like being woken up by being clubbed on the head. I don't know if you know, but I noticed that every time I bump my head I'm always in a bad mood afterwards, always. Curious, isn't it?

"I'd appreciate it if you left my head alone, thank you," I grumbled as I rubbed my head, while Marshall hoisted me up on his shoulder once again. "You know, I'm not a bloody potato sack," I said as I slapped him upside the head. His companion laughed and said, "Of course you're not. Sacks don't have legs." I twisted around and tried to hit him with my foot, only to end up twisting my ankle. "Woah, Lord Beckett was right, Marshall. She _IS_ a hellcat." He commented as Marshall grunted in reply. I frowned. _So they had been talking about me,_ I thought.

Marshall set me on my feet as soon as we were out on deck while I observed my surroundings. The sun was about to set and the three ships were at rest. Every person was at rest, and as soon as Marshall set me on my feet and they were able to observe my attire, wolf whistles and lecherous comments greeted me.

My blood boiled and in a fit of anger I shouted "Why don't you go and whistle at your bloody mothers, you buggers!" as I gave them the finger. Needless to say, my little performance earned me another round of whistles.

"Gentlemen," Beckett said, as he strode out of his cabin. I couldn't help but notice that he looked like a very large spider (even though he wasn't tall, then again, I wasn't tall myself) surrounded by flies. I knew that I was the one at a disadvantage, but that wasn't going to stop me from being nasty. "Well, hello there shortie, miss me?" I said as I blew him a kiss, which resulted in several other wolf whistles and laughs. Beckett sent a scorching glare towards me and resumed his speech.

"As you already know, our guest refuses to give us the information that we need," he said, amidst several mutters. "It is to my greatest regret, that we have to revert to our usual treatment of pirates," he said. And every person fell silent. "This is your very last chance. Will you collaborate with us?" he asked. "And what will I get?" I asked. I was always interested in bargains, which pirate wasn't? He smirked. "A less painful death," he replied. "No, I don't really like the outcome of that deal," I said. Which pirate would agree to _that?_ He smirked again.

"Then we are forced to convince you otherwise. Strap her to the main-mast, ten lashes as a starter," he said. My mouth dropped open in shock as Marshall was thrusting me towards the main-mast, seeing as my feet were refusing to move. I had never received any lashings before, as it were, so I really had no idea what to expect.

"Hey, wait! No respect for the fairer sex? I'm a woman! What if I'm pregnant?"I said, trying to damper Marshall's pushes with my feet. The deck fell silent once more and Marshall's pushes stopped. I assure you, I wasn't pregnant. But they didn't need to know that, did they? Beckett's surprised face was priceless. It took every ounce of will I possessed to keep a straight face. "Am I to understand, that you're pleading your belly?" he asked quietly. "I am," I lied. It took a moment for him to comprehend what the situation that I was putting forward really was.

"Who's the father?" he asked frowning. "Well, I'm going to tell you _that_, am I?" I replied. He frowned as he opened and closed his mouth trying to think of something to say while observing my flat stomach. He took in a deep breath to compose himself and said "Well, most probably the child's father is Sparrow, another _pirate._ So obviously the child would be a pirate as well, whether male or female," his eyes gained a steely gleam as his mouth thinned in a straight line. "If the pregnancy doesn't last, we'd be ridding the world of another pirate before any damage could be done." He stopped and strode towards me. "As it is," he whispered in my ear, "If you really are pregnant, which I doubt, I hope you lose Sparrow's bastard child. One Sparrow is more than enough. The world doesn't need any more _filth_," he said, spitting the last word.

As I already said, there was no child, but you have no idea how offended I felt. Not only was he calling Jack filth, but any future children that Jack may have. No gasp left my mouth as my fist closed and rose to meet his face in blinding speed. His nose cracked but there was no blood. "You're an even lesser man than I thought you were," I said quietly, my face hardening in a cold mask as I was pulled towards the main-mast.

I didn't protest as the back of my shirt was ripped open and my corset removed from my body. And I didn't let a sound escape my mouth as I felt the first maiming sting across my back and warm liquid dribbling down. I bit my lips harder as the second whip crossed the first gash. And a droplet of blood dripped down my chin as the third laceration hacked across my back. The fourth and fifth whip passed without my giving any response, but I couldn't stop a groan and my back arching as the sixth lash sliced across the already blood covered skin of my back. I lost my footing with the seventh strike and the throbbing doubled as my muscles were stretched. The eighth strike sliced across my back and right shoulder and a whimper escaped my tightly sealed lips.

'_Only two more to go,_' I thought as I felt the whip being ripped back from my back, creating a fresh wave of pain. I rested my head against the main mast on the ninth lash and on the tenth closed my eyes, glad that the flogging was over. Blood seeped out of the hacked skin of my back and coursed down, soaking my short pants as I heard a hazy voice ordering someone to hoist a bucket of sea water. My hands pulled at the rope binding them to the main mast in a deathly hug as the bucket of salty water was poured over my head. The wounds on my back stung and burned as the salty water seeped in gashes and my torn shirt clung to my wet skin.

Someone cut the ropes binding my hands to the mast and hauled me to my feet as my hands held my shirt from under my arms to preserve what modesty I had left. I was unceremoniously dragged across the wet deck to the brigs where I was thrown in the brig I had been in just a short time earlier. Even though I didn't look up, I knew that Capitaine Chevalle was gaping at my torn back in horror as I hauled myself to my feet using the bench that was bolted to the floor, gritting my teeth in agony.

**Alright, so I know that right now you probably hate me, but bear with me, things have to get worse before they get better (I think it's a saying). I'd love it if you left some reviews, I really do appreciate it.**

**So, I was thinking of putting up another story as well. What should it be? (choose one):**

**Another Pirates of the Caribbean**

**Sleepy Hollow**

**The Libertine**

**Secret Window**

**Charlie and the Chocolate Factory**

**Once upon a time in Mexico**

**or Underworld?**

**Please tell me which one you choose, I just can't decide.  
**


	44. P' for Pirate: Chapter 44

**So, my thanks this time go Miss Kaelyn Marie Lorne, FunnyLittleMe, **

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.**

Jack's point of view

The bottle of rum shook in my hand as my grip around its neck tightened.

That was what women were good for; stirring trouble. Look at Will, ever since he got himself involved with Elizabeth, he found himself chasing after immortal pirates, going on a wild goose chase after Jones and ended up Captain of _the Flying Dutchman_. Sure all of that is now over, but that's not the point. Look at Jones, he involved himself with Calypso and what did he get in return? Ending up as a slimy old git, or for lack of better words, a fish face. And look at me. This is the fourth time that I'm in hot water because of her.

First she gets herself kidnapped by Ronda's men, ends herself in an arranged marriage, then she gets shot at and now she ends up arrested by the Company.

Take my advice, steer clear of women.

I placed the bottle at my lips and was about to down the last dregs of the remaining rum when a knock on the door paused me in my actions.

"Wha' t'is it?" I asked as Will opened the door and stepped in. "What ye want, lad?" I asked again. "I was heading to our cabin when-" "When? What?" I prompted motioning with my hands. "The _Star's_ gone," he said. "What?" I asked, shocked by the news, that wasn't according to the plan we made.

"The _Star's_ gone. And some of Pia's crew are making their way on your ship. You all right, Jack?" he asked as he saw me gulp the remaining rum and slam the bottle on the desk.

"No, I'm not. Bloody woman drives me out of me bloody mind," I grumbled as I followed him out on deck to sort the newest problem.

Pia's Point of View

I couldn't sleep. No one in their right mind can call the pain filled haze, when I wasn't sure if I was alive or not, sleep. The cell door banged open and a stream of curses tumbled out of my mouth as Marshall and a guard grabbed my upper arms and hauled me away to Beckett's cabin.

The door was thrown open and I was hauled in and pushed in a chair in front of Beckett's desk. "Leave us," he said as the other guard left and Marshall stood by the door. "What do you want?" I said, trying to ignore the stabs of pain in my back. "I realize now that my behaviour last time was a bit out of line," he started.

I stared at him open mouthed. "Are you really _that _stupid?" I asked. "Your behaviour wasn't out of line, it was what you felt. You were showing your true colours."

He ignored my comment and said "I should have been clearer in what I needed from you. Where is Jack Sparrow?" "Sailing," I replied. "Where to?" he pressed. "Some place on Earth." "But where?" "I just said," I replied, evading the question again. Beckett was becoming more annoyed by the minute.

"Where were you all those months you spent missing from the Caribbean?" he asked, pursuing another subject. "Sailing," I replied. "Where to?" he pressed. "Some place on Earth," I said, not giving him the answer he wanted.

His mouth thinned to a thin white line as he pushed a glass of water towards me. "You must be thirsty, drink this." He said. I looked at it suspiciously, and nearly drank it. However I sniffed the liquid instead. There was a faint strange odour. Even though I was so thirsty that I could drink practically nearly everything, I was still wary of Beckett, so I pushed the glass back towards him. "No, I won't," I replied quietly.

He sighed and said "Marshall, you may proceed." Nothing much happened after that, except that Marshall pressed my shoulders and back to the back of the hard chair I was sitting on. My lips parted in a gasp of pain, and Beckett tipped the liquid in my mouth. Needless to say, I chocked and spluttered all over him, however half of the liquid trickled to my stomach.

My vision started to blur around the edges and my coughing and spluttering started to decrease as I felt myself start to loose my grasp on myself and reality.

Third person's point of view

Beckett's face was a sight to behold as he realized that his plan had succeeded. He motioned Marshall to stand by the closed door once again and sat behind his desk as he pressed his fingertips together on the desk. He waited a few seconds to make sure that the concoction that he had bought from a mystic was in full power. "Where is Jack Sparrow?" he said. "Sailing," she replied tonelessly. His good mood dropped a notch as he heard her familiar answer. "Where to?" he pressed. "I don't know," was her reply. "Where were you all those you spent absent from the Caribbean?" he questioned.

"The Mediterranean." "Why did you go there?" "To search for Calypso's Cave," she replied, her eyes unfocused on a non-existent spot. "And did you find it?" he asked, his interest piquing up. "Yes," she confirmed. "What did you find in it?" Beckett asked, his excitement increasing by the second. "A stone statue," Pia replied. "Just a stone statue," Beckett replied to himself dismally.

"What else did you find in the Mediterranean?" "My family," she said, surprising both men in the cabin. "Who exactly?" Beckett inquired. "My father, brother and his family, sister and C-."

Her eyes closed and after a few moments snapped open with a gasp as she stared at him in horror.

Pia's Point of View

I stared at him in horror at what he had made me do without my consent. "You tricked me," I whispered horrified. "A dose of your own medicine. Not quite so pleasant is it? Now you know what your hostages go through when you capture and question them," he replied. "We don't use potions," I countered back.

"No, you use torture," he spat. "Well, if I'm not mistaken, you've already used that and I didn't complain. I'm only complaining about the use of your bloody brew on me," I hissed. "Which brings me to another question. How did you manage to break out of it's effect?" he asked.

I knew why, it was quite obvious really, although it wasn't so obvious to him. The potion had ceased working when I was about to mention Calypso's name, which was quite lucky really. But I wasn't about to tell him that.

"Odd, isn't it?" I smirked, enjoying his frustrated glare. "Which is why I'm asking you," he said, a dangerous note entering his voice. "Wouldn't you like to know," I teased. "Damn it, pirate! Just tell me!" he shouted. This was obviously a clear indication that I had crossed some invisible line, but what can I say? I'm rather good at that.

I mock gasped as I heard his foul language. "What kind of foul language is that from an upstanding well-bred Lord? Quite shocking," I said, mocking him, as I tsked and shook my head. "Shut up!" he growled. "Aw, widdle Beckett is having a tantrum. Be a good boy and I'll give you a sweetie," I said, trying to stop my laughter and mocking the hell out of him again.

"I said shut up!" He shouted as his hand collided with my cheek with a resounding snap. My hand flew to his face and slapped him back as the smile was wiped from my face. "Don't you ever-_ever_-and slap me again," I warned as I stood up with difficulty and looked directly in his eyes, my voice suddenly slow and quiet.

A black light was shining in his eyes, a dark cruel glittering that promised something which I wouldn't enjoy. His mouth was set in a thin tight-lipped smirk and his cheeks had a hard appearance. But I refused to feel intimidated.

He drew in a breath before he started to speak. "It seems that your usefulness has run out, Miss Sterlin. You let your heart lead your way instead of your head. I think it fair that you should reap your rewards. Mr Marshall, inform the crew that they have a new puppet for their enjoyment and entertainment," he said as he stepped around the desk and walked towards the window, dismissing me back to the brig.

~Later that evening~

I was quietly dozing in a corner of my cell, ignoring Chevalle's curious stares when two sniggering men came up to the door. "Very nice of you to help with our boredom, sweetheart," one of them said as the other unlocked the door.

I stared at them in horror, thinking about the way women prisoners were treated and what they were forced to do. "Not that, sweetheart. We won't take Sparrow's leftovers," the other said as he noticed my horrified stare. "But I don't think you'll enjoy this either," his companion replied as I was picked up from under my arms and carted off on deck.

The sun was setting, colouring the sky a pale reddish pink and the fluffy clouds a lighter colour, and more than half the crew members were around the main mast with their swords and cutlasses.

My breath halted and I struggled to get out of their grip. But seeing as I was shorter than them and my feet weren't even touching the ground, my squirming was for nothing, except to fuel their laughter.

I was shoved in the middle of the circle, and my fear was evident on my face as their laughter increased. Most probably you don't know what was coming for me. I'll tell you, don't worry.

The tell-tale cutlass pricks on my skin tore my shabby clothes and pricked my skin, forcing me to run around in circles around the main mast, like a chicken without a head. However, every way I went, more sword-jabs were awaiting me, forcing me to run even faster. The whole point was to exhaust me so much until I collapsed from sheer exhaustion, which in my case wasn't too difficult to achieve seeing as I had already spent two days without either food or drink and hadn't slept. The fact that my back had been torn open as well didn't help. And pretty soon I was on the floor, gasping for breath as small rivulets of blood dripped from my body.

"Water," I gasped, wheezing for air. More laughter met my ears as a tin cup was pushed in my hands. I put it up to my lips, and greedily swallowed half the liquid in one gulp, which was a mistake on my part as the sea water, which I had swallowed, came rushing back up as my stomach repelled it, making me feel even weaker than before.

There was more laughter as I was hauled up once more and pushed around from one pair of hands to the next, receiving punches, slaps and kicks on the way, while I held what remained of my tattered clothes to my body. One particular hard slap caused me to slip on the wet deck. A groan escaped my mouth as I landed with a painful thud on my side.

If you think that someone helped me up, you're sorely mistaken. A boot clad foot shot out of nowhere and kicked me in the stomach in between the ribs, right where I had been shot earlier that year. And that was the last straw. A chocked sob escaped my lips as I curled into a ball, trying to ward off and ignore, without success, their kicks and holding the painful spot, trying to alleviate the pain.

I don't remember much of their strikes, except that there was one person that kicked me in the tail-bone, hard, which obviously sent me rolling on deck in pain, choking on more sobs and tears. I vaguely remember someone saying something about branding and loud cheers before I was hauled up and my right arm wrenched forwards.

A sailor carrying a metal bucket full of glowing embers with a rod sticking out of it ran towards the group, and as soon as I realized that I was about to be branded with a 'P' for pirate, I started struggling once again, fiercer than before, but it was in vain as several pairs of hands closed around my arms, especially the right one, to keep me in place.

I squirmed as I felt the brand's heat burning the skin on my forearm and a blood-curdling scream escaped my throat as the the white-hot 'P' touched my skin. However that wasn't what bothered me most. I was sure that the smell of my burning flesh and the sizzling sound of the hot iron burning my arm were going to stay with me for the rest of my life, branded in my memory for my remaining days.

**All right, hope you liked that. (Don't hate me too much, her situation will get better, don't worry). So, since we didn't reach and agreement on which story I should start writing, here's what I decided to do. I've put up a poll on my profile page and (hopefully soon) I'll write a summary on each story and what it'll be about. I'll leave the poll open for about a month, a month and a half, more than enough time for you, readers, to decide.**

**Thanks for reading and please review!  
**


	45. Jimmy: Chapter 45

**Alrighty mighty. I know this chapter is long overdue, BUT I have a good reason why. One word: exams. Now, that that's over and done with, I would like to thank ****seekAriddle ****and ****morgain rose**** for the fave and alert. Thanks a lot, I really appreciate your support!**

**Although, (I'm being honest here and am gonna say it straight and plain) I'm not pleased at not receiving any reviews for the last chapter. It was a bloody hard one to write. But I understand that most people had exams on the doorstep; just like me. By the way, since from the poll we haven't yet reached a conclusion, I'll leave it open for another month or so. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own POTC.**

Three days later

Jack's Point of View

They were sailing towards Port Royal. It was common knowledge in the Caribbean that it was Beckett's home port.

His mouth was set in a thin pale line and his dark eyes, which had lost their usual mischievous spark, were set on a distant spot on the horizon. Sometimes they would flicker to the compass in his hand to check the direction and adjust the helm with his other hand. The only thing that gave off a sign of weakness and weariness were the bags and dark circles under his eyes, which suggested sleepless nights. The only times that he managed to sleep were haunted by nightmares, which woke him up not long after he fell asleep.

Both his and what remained of Pia's crew were working diligently, nobody dared to slack, not when there was the possibility of falling under his crazed gaze. And nobody dared to inquire what he would be muttering when he thought he was alone. "Soon me love," he would whisper. "I'll free you soon."

Pia's Point of View

We were bound to arrive to Port Royal in about a week. The four days I had spent on the East Indiaman were hell. Apart from the tortures, which I received daily, the sway of the ship's sailing didn't help at all.

The difference between the East Indiaman and _the Pearl_ or _the Star_ was great. It chopped and heaved and struggled sluggishly against the waves instead of gliding and using the waves' energy to its benefit.

However my tiny piece of heaven was to arrive in the form of a young sailor, not older than twenty.

_I was tied from my hands and feet, gagged and blindfolded as I was hit numerous times. The blindfold was wet with my tears and the gag silenced my cries and gasps. I was kicked in my back, tearing open the scabs, which sent me rolling to the floor in agony. Somebody stepped on my left arm and a cry left my gagged mouth as I heard the bone snap in two. _

_A spiteful voice said "Let's keelhaul her!" and was met with several laughs. I was picked up from the floor while I struggled pitifully, trying my best to ignore the pain in my arm, and was about to be tied to a rope when a voice interrupted the quite snickers. _

"_Enough!" it said. The voice was young and inexperienced, raw with anger. "Do you have no mercy?" he said furiously. "Oh we have plenty. Just not to pirates." Someone replied. "She's a woman! A woman with child, none the less!" He spat back. "I've never seen a pregnant woman with such a flat stomach!" The same someone replied. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out that she's still in the early stages. If she loses the baby, you will have innocent blood on your hands! A child's blood!" he said as someone, who I suspected was the same one that defended me, cut the ropes binding my hands and feet and removed the gag and blindfold._

_My savior was in the form of young shaggy blond haired blue eyed young man who helped me up gently towards the brig. "Why?" I whispered, referring to the help he was giving me, as I held my tattered shirt to my body. "Because nobody deserves that kind of treatment, especially a woman with child and I'm sure that you don't treat your hostages in that horrendous way," he said._

_I felt almost guilty that he believed my lie, almost. "Besides," he continued "The state of Beckett's fiancée proves my theory," he said as he helped me sit on the hard bench. "Thanks," I whispered as the door clanked shut. "Think nothing of it. My debt to Captain Sparrow is now settled," he said as he moved out of the brig with a soft smile on his lips. _

The days passed, and thank God, I wasn't bothered much. By the end of the week, and therefore when we arrived to Port Royal, I was nothing but skin and bones. It still amazes me how I was capable to lose so much weight in such a short time. I wasn't fed, as a matter of fact, but still it's not normal for a person to lose so much weight in such a short time.

When we docked, I was dragged to the prison brutally. Not that there was any need, I was so weak, that what little energy I had left, I used to just keep alive. There were many scandalized faces and gasps at the way of how I was treated, but no one dared to step out of the line as a couple of Navy men passed around shouting "Stand back!" and "Careful ma'am, she's a dangerous one." Which was really quite ludicrous anyway you looked at it, as I wasn't even fighting back.

However, there was one boy that wheedled his way from between the sailors to see more clearly what was going on. I managed to recognize him as the boy that on the day of my unsuccessful wedding, I had fake-threatened, and also gave him money for helping me and Emma out, before he was whisked away by a red coat.

We arrived to prison, with me sporting new bruises, fresh cuts and an increased amount of pain in my arm, as I was dragged down the couple of steps. But I wasn't thrown in one of the usual cells where a window was present. No, instead I was dragged another set of stairs to another prison, this one being underground, the only source of light being a couple of small stubby dirty candles, which didn't give much light anyway.

I was thrown tersely in the cell, muck sticking to my arms, legs and wounds. I vaguely remember laughter as the door was clanked shut. I sat up slowly and painfully, as I tried to scrape away the dirt from my wounds causing as little pain as possible, which was rather unachievable.

And that was the first time I heard his soft youthful voice. "You're too pretty to be down here," he said, as he clutched the bars in small fists. I looked up at him tiredly to see a young dirty face of a boy, with sparkling green eyes, brown hair and dirty rosy cheeks. I guessed his age to be somewhere about five or six. I recognized him to be the same boy I threatened on my fake-wedding day, the very same one that wiggled between the soldiers earlier that day to see what was going on. "Was," he corrected himself as he saw my gaunt face and dark circled eyes.

"What's your name, boy?" I asked him as I dragged myself over towards the door. I was pleased to see that he didn't flinch. "Jimmy. What's yours?" he asked, green eyes wide in wonder at the tired thin woman in front of him; me. "Captain Pia," I replied. "You're a Captain?" he asked, eyes wider than before. "Aye lad. How old are you Jimmy?" I asked. Needless to say, I was starting to get a little intrigued by my young visitor. "I'm this old," he said as he splayed five fingers before me.

"Aren't you a little too young to be running around alone? Where's your mama?" "She's gone with Jesus," he replied. "Father, sister, or family?" I pressed. "Don't have any," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. I frowned as I heard this. "Then where do you live? And how do you eat?" I asked. "I live everywhere. And…I steal, but that's a secret between you and me," he said, whispering the last part, as if afraid that some prying ear would hear him. "Don't worry Jimmy, I won't," I chuckled as I rested my head back on the brick wall.

"You're the woman Lord Beckett was going to marry long ago, aren't you? The lovely runaway bride," he said, blinking his eyes. I chuckled again as I nodded my head. "You gave me money," he stated as I nodded again. "You made my mama happy," he said, voice thick with gratitude. I frowned as I raised my head and looked at him. "How so?" I inquired. "She likes chocolate and white flowers. I got her a chocolate and a white flower. She went to Jesus happy," he replied, his eyes misty with unshed tears.

I was in such a fix, I didn't know how to deal with a child, much less with a nearly crying child. So I smiled sympathetically at him and said "I'm sure she loves you very much and is smiling at you right now." "Right now?" "Right now." "Really?" "Really really," I said, and my stomach gave a very loud grumble.

"You're hungry," Jimmy stated. And before I could protest, he said "I'll get you something to eat." And he disappeared in the darkness, broken only by a few grubby candles, making me wonder if my encounter with Jimmy had been real or not.

**So, I hope you liked that. What do you think of Jimmy? Was he real or not? Tell me your opinions of him! And please review! They're greatly appreciated and keep me going!**


	46. Hatching of plans: Chapter 46

**Hello Ladies and gentlemen (sorry, I'm in a jolly mood today), and here I am back with another chapter. I'd like to give my thanks to ****MissChristinaBlack****, ****M-marije-e**** and ****MoonlitSerenity****. And for the reviews ****SoftlySpokenHeart**** and ****. Thank you people!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own POTC. If I did I wouldn't be here; or maybe I would.**

I spent several minutes alone in the darkness. And when I had resigned that my mind was finally playing tricks on me, I heard the soft pitter patter of feet and Jimmy scuttled down the stairs; barefoot, shaggy haired and clutching a bottle of white milk.

He scampered over to my cell and, grinning like a roguish imp (which looked very similar to Jack's, when he was young), handed me the bottle. I chuckled as I took the bottle from his hands, and raised it in toast. "To you, the good force that sent you here and freedom," I said as I drank the milk slowly, savouring each drop.

His green eyes sparkled and gleamed in the darkness, and I knew that he was bursting in curiosity. His eyes burned in inquisitiveness and he could hardly keep still. "Fire away, son," I said as I drank the last dregs and put the bottle in the corner. "Are you a pirate?" he burst. I looked at his shining eyes and hopeful face. "Why do you want to know?" I asked, unsure of what to say. "I heard a sea soldier say they captured a woman pirate. And I thought, well, was it you?" he asked with a hopeful voice.

I scrutinized his young innocent face and decided that he was no danger to me, if he babbled I wouldn't have ended up worse anyway as I had already reached the branding state. My infected arm was proof of that. "Aye lad, I am," I replied, surprised at how weary and drained I felt. If it was possible, his curiosity increased, and his eyes burned brighter than the dirty stubby candles.

"Will you take me with you out to sea?" he asked eagerly, failing at restraining his excitement. I looked at him and smiled a sad smile. "If I get out of here alive, with all me heart lad. But I'm afraid that this time, I won't be lucky enough to escape the hempen jig," I said.

His excitement drained, and I really felt bad for it. But it wasn't in my nature to promise something impossible to someone I liked. Yes, I had just met the boy, he had given me a bottle of milk, helping me fight death a little better, and I already liked him and wished to spare him a lifetime of begging in the streets of Port Royal.

His eyes turned watery. "I heard them sea soldiers say that," he stopped and sniffed as he wiped his nose on his dirty sleeve before continuing. "That they were going to hang the hellcat tomorrow. Is it you as well?" I chuckled as I heard the nickname the sailors had given a week before. "Aye, it seems as if my luck has finally run out. What a pity," I sighed.

His eyes hardened suddenly. "I won't let them," he said resolutely. "I'll defend you," he added as an afterthought as he puffed out his chest proudly. "My mama always said that gentlemen should defend ladies. And I'll do just that," he said as he nodded determinedly to himself.

I chuckled as I extended my hand between the bars, gripped his and squeezed gently. "You're very courageous. That's very good and you should be proud of yourself. But don't be foolish, son. It doesn't look well on you. If you really want to help, keep on the lookout for a ship with black sails. Or for Captain Jack Sparrow, you know what he looks like, don't you?" I asked as he nodded his head.

"Tell me what to do," he said. I leaned towards the bars as I whispered in his ear some instructions and precautions. "I want you to go over to the cliffs and check for a ship with black sails, you understand? If it is there I want you go to the tavern. You know where it is?" I asked.

Most probably you're wondering why I didn't mention my ship, but I was suspecting that there had been a traitor among my trusted crew. I had an idea who it was, but I wasn't sure.

Jimmy nodded as he said "It's near the cliffs, isn't it?" answering my question as I nodded. "Yes. If the ship is there, I want you to go to the tavern and find the barman. Ask for Jonah's brother and tell him 'Pia said, take me down the cliffs.' When he takes you down give him this," I said as I took my dagger in its pocket. Not the one my father gave me, or the boot dagger but the other one. I handed it to him "Don't open it, it's sharp. When you get down to the cliffs shout to the crew to bring you onboard and ask for Captain Sparrow. And give Captain Sparrow this," this time I took my Sparrow necklace and gave it to Jimmy. "Don't lose it. Give him the necklace and answer any question that he asks you truthfully. And then report back to me. Got it?" I said, afraid that I had put too much information at once.

He nodded his head and said "I go to the cliffs and check for a ship with black sails and if it is there, I go to the Tavern and tell Jonah's brother that you said to take me down the cliffs and then I give him the sharp dagger. And then I shout to the crew to take me to the ship and to Captain Sparrow and give him the bird necklace and answer his questions, no lying. And then I come back to you. Sure, I always remember everything," he said before he kissed my cheek and raced up the stairs and out the door.

I smiled as I touched the spot where he placed his chaste kiss gently. Jimmy wasn't just courageous and as nifty as Jack, he was also a very bright kid with a heart of gold.

Jimmy's Point of View

The soft pitter patter of his bare feet hitting the ground encouraged Jimmy to run faster. The cliffs were soon looming into view, so he slowed down, coming to a stop a few feet away from the edges. He scanned the horizon, shielding his eyes from the sunset's light as he searched for a ship with black sails. He didn't see any ships docked. But on the horizon there was a black speck that was growing rapidly larger. He mopped his brow as he thought about what he should do and after a couple of moments, sat down on the cliffs, his feet swinging, as he decided to wait for the black blob and see what it was.

Sometime later

A smile graced Jimmy's lips as the ship with black sails that Pia spoke about released its anchor with a splash. He had heard the stories about a ship with black sails called _the Black Pearl_, and he hoped that this ship was the one. He scrambled to his feet quickly and ran to the tavern that was situated nearby.

The air smelled of smoke and alcohol, the walls and ceiling stained with the smokers' smoke but there were very few people in the tavern. Jimmy realized that it wasn't night yet, for the tavern to burst to life.

However, he didn't spend much time pondering; he wormed his way to the bar and scrambled on a stool. "Are you Jonah's brother?" he asked the barman, breathless with all the running. "Aye lad. What ye want?" he said as he rubbed a glass with a grimy dishcloth. "Pia said to take me down the cliffs and to give you this," Jimmy said as he showed him the sheathed dagger.

The barman stretched his hand towards it, but Jimmy drew back his hand. "Nuh huh," he said, shaking his head. "Not before you take me down the cliffs." "Very well, ye blasted monkey," the barman grumbled before he shouted for his wife to stay behind the bar while he escorted Jimmy down a goat path and to a natural harbor that was situated in a small cove where _the Black Pearl_ was anchored.

Jimmy handed the barman the dagger, who abandoned Jimmy and made his way back up the goat path. As soon as he was half way up, Jimmy turned his gaze towards the dark ship and started shouting and waving his hands, holding tightly the necklace and hoping to catch the attention of the crew.

And true enough, a boat, rowed by a man wearing a pair of dirty white trousers, a white shirt and a blue waist coat sort of thing and large muttonchops, was making its way towards him. He admired the way the oars dipped and rose from the clear bluish green sea, and prepared himself to jump on the boat as soon as its hull bumped gently against the seaweed covered jetty. The man kept himself quiet during the ride, his eyes fixed on either on their destination or on the bird necklace clutched tightly in Jimmy's hand.

As soon as they arrived, a rope ladder was thrown over the gunwale and down to the boat. Jimmy got up and started climbing up the ladder, as nimble as a monkey. His mouth nearly dropped open when his feet touched the deck. There were sailors everywhere. _Pirates_ he corrected himself mentally. However, he didn't allow himself to feel intimidated and before anyone could speak a word he said "I want to speak to Captain Sparrow." He said.

The crew surveyed him with a narrowed eye. "What ye want lad?" a very short man with a bald head said. "Are you Captain Sparrow?" Jimmy asked. The man shook his head in answer. "Then I'm not telling you anything," Jimmy replied stubbornly as he crossed his arms over his chest, the necklace glinting in the sun. "What ye got in yer hand boy?" another portly man asked. "None of your business if you're not Captain Sparrow," Jimmy said. "Ye'll answer us when we talk to ye, ye filthy bilge rat!" he said as he shook his fist in anger in Jimmy's direction. Jimmy stuck out his tongue and said "You smell funny," as he scrunched his nose.

A warm hand closed around his shoulder. "Come with me. I'll take you to the Cap'n, lad," the one that had rowed the boat said as he steered Jimmy gently towards a large cabin at the back of a ship. He knocked and a split second later, the door burst open.

A man with brown dreadlocks and several ornaments in his hair, which was held back by a faded red bandana, stood by the door. His tired looking eyes were lined with smudged kohl and had dark circles under his eyes. "Are you Captain Sparrow?" Jimmy asked as he clutched the necklace tighter. "Aye boy. And you are?" the Captain asked as he shooed the other man and let Jimmy pass in the cabin. "I'm Jimmy, Captain," he replied as he surveyed the cabin.

Its furnishings were lavish, but its grandeur was spoiled by the jumbled array of empty bottles, the unmade bed, the messy clutter on the desk and the lingering scent of alcohol. He was pushed lightly in an armchair as Captain Sparrow stood before him, sizing him up.

"Pray tell the fine reason why you were kicking up that ruckus in front of me ship." He said. Jimmy didn't say anything, he held out his hand which was clutching tightly Pia's necklace. The Captain extended his hand towards Jimmy, expecting Jimmy to drop the piece of jewelry he was holding and that was when he recognized what the boy was holding. His eyes narrowed slightly at the corners and his lips tightened to a thin line.

"Where did you get that, Jimmy?" the Captain asked quietly. "Captain Pia gave it to me, sir," Jimmy replied as he dropped the necklace in Jack's outstretched hand. The familiar light weight gave a fleeting comfort to Jack. It felt like a breath of fresh air after spending a year in a stuffy room, like the warm comfort of the sun's first rays after a spell of a harsh storm. But the comfort was gone as soon as it had come. He licked his lips, his mouth suddenly gone dry.

"Where-where is she?" he asked hoarsely, his fist closing over the silver pendant and chain. "She's in prison, sir. Underground. She was banged up quite a bit, if I may say so." "Describe her," Jack said as he collapsed in a chair, the strength in his legs having suddenly gone. Jimmy swung his legs as he looked out of the window.

"Her hair is long, dark and tangled-"

'_Long inky curls, as soft and downy as a dove's wing.'_ Jack's mind whispered, but he kept quiet as Jimmy recalled Pia's image.

"-her eyes are dark as well. They look look as if she lost all hope.-"

'_Glittery dark eyes, full of life and fire.'_

"-Thin and her clothes hang on her like on a dry twig-"

'_slim and shapely with all the right amount of curves in the right places, making a man wish he-'_

"-pale and sickly.-"

'_the epitome image of health, lightly sun kissed with a sheen of mischief.' _

"-She was lovely once, not long ago."

'_Not just lovely, but beautiful. The most breath taking woman ever. Still is'_

"Sir?" Jimmy's quiet question broke Jack out of his staring. "Aye lad?" he asked as he stared at Jimmy. The boy was looking at him with wide eyes, a hopeful glimmer colouring them brighter than normal. "Will you help me save her? The red men are going to hang her tomorrow and I promised that I won't let them. But she said that I'm too young, and that I shouldn't be foolish. Will you help me help her?" he said all in one breath.

Jack looked one more time at the devoted boy. "Why do you want to help her?" he asked. The boy just shrugged in answer and said "Because." "Aye. Aye, I'll help Jimmy," Jack said as he exhaled and leaned his head on the chair's back.

"Sir, do you love her?" "Ay-wait, what?" Jack's head shot up quicker than a gunshot. "What makes ye say that boy?" he asked sharply. Jimmy blinked and shrugged. "You were describing her with me-" "No, I wasn't!" Jack interrupted indignantly. "Was, was, and was!" Jimmy said without giving Jack a time to put in a word. "And you're still clutching her necklace," he continued. Jack looked at his closed fist and frowned.

"You're too bloody attentive fer me own good," he grumbled. He looked up to see Jimmy sniggering. "Do you want to help her, or do I have to do it by me onsies?" Jack said, a hint of the old Jack Sparrow back in his manner. Jimmy nodded eagerly. "Then stop wasting precious time, in which she might be suffering, might I add, and listen to what ye gotta do, savvy?"

**So, I hope you liked my humble chapter enough give me a review. I know, I'm sorry for the long wait, but I spent two days upset over a guy (I'm gonna leave out the details, but feel free to ask, if you're curious), then my cousins spent a week sleeping over and then I had a really bad case of writer's block. Reviews? Please? *puppy dog eyes* Alright, I'm gonna stop badgering you, till next time!**


	47. We are coming tomorrow, love: Chapter 47

**So this the 47****th**** chapter. I really hope you enjoy this. My thanks today go to ****wolf2008lllll****, ****face4theradio**** and ****ValueMyHeart****. Thanks also goes to the reviewers ****,**** Arquero333, face4theradio, trainsgirl13 and ValueMyHeart. I'd also like to apologize if someone left a review and I didn't send a reply, because I had a rather hectic few last days. So here's to anyone who didn't receive a reply; Thank you! I really appreciate your support!**

**Disclaimer: I own them! The original characters, that is. POTC does not belong to me.**

Pia's point of view

Not even a minute after Jimmy left, I heard the clanking and stomping of a guard. And a second later, the EITC guard that had nicknamed me '_hellcat_', was descending down the steps.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here," he said in an amused voice. "Well, look at what the cat dragged in, isn't it nice of you to drop by," I said sarcastically. "Sarcasm doesn't become you, _deary_," he said sweetly. "Neither does fake sweetness become you, _darling_," I said with enough sweetness to match his.

His face contorted into a mask of rage before it relaxed back, albeit a little annoyed. I was still observing his face when he unlocked the door and stepped in. "Like what you see?" he said thinking that I was appreciate his looks. "Hardly," I said as I snorted. He wasn't ugly, but he wasn't handsome either. Just plain. "I've seen better," I said as I tried to rub my still manacled wrists. His face twisted into another angry scowl.

"No wonder, because that filthy bilge rat _Sparrow_ is _so_ much better looking than me," he spat. He didn't show it, but I was sure that he was bursting with jealousy. So I decided to push him around a little. "Now who ever said that I was speaking about Jack? I didn't mention him," I said as I inspected my grimy nails. "Although now that you mention it, yeah, I suppose so. He is rather devilishly handsome, don't you think?" I said as I looked up and smirked at him.

I tried to stand up as I examined his face, keeping alert to any dangerous emotions that might reveal themselves on his face. Grime and cobwebs slipped and clung to my fingers and palms as I pushed against the blackened wall to support myself. I grimaced as I felt a bolt of pain in my arm as I pushed a bit too hard against the wall.

"Of course, what kind of woman would find a womanizer like him attractive?" he spat as he advanced towards me. "A woman that has eyes, a good sense of judgment and can appreciate a good-looking man when she sees one." I suggested. "Obviously, only certain kinds of women would find his '_good looks_' dashing. Women like you," he hissed.

He advanced another step towards me.

"Speaking of you, you're no woman with extraordinary looks," he said. "I'm rather thankful for it. Keeps men like you at bay," I retorted quickly. "You spoke too soon sweetheart. I happen to be one of those men who happen to find you attractive," he said softly as he brushed a stray tendril of hair from my face.

I turned my face away from him. I was suddenly aware of the tight situation I was in. He was pressed closely to me and my back was against the grimy wall. My hands were shackled, my arm probably broken and my feet bloodied. He gripped my cheeks between his fingers and turned my face forcefully towards his.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you, that it's rude to ignore someone who's talking to you? Or was she too busy whoring herself out?" he said. As he mentioned my mother, my dear sweet mother, something in me snapped. I knew what my mother was, and I didn't need him to remind me.

"You don't know a _thing_ about my mother," I hissed as I kneed him in the crotch. A gasp of pain escaped his thin lips as the bundle he was holding dropped to the floor and the hand holding me hostage released me.

As soon as I felt my new found freedom, I tried to run towards the still open door. However, as you all know, my feet were bloodied and I couldn't go as fast as I wished, and to my regret, a hand wrapped around my ankle.

And I fell.

"Did you _honestly_ think that I would let you escape that easily?" he whispered angrily as he pulled me towards him from my ankle. I didn't answer as I tried my best to fight him off while he was straddling my hips.

"What, I thought you disliked pirates," I said as I swung my shackled wrists towards his face. He caught them with ease and pinned my hands above my head. A groan escaped my lips as I felt the broken bones in my arm grinding against each other.

He didn't even bother to answer me as he pushed his lips on mine, planting a sour kiss on my lips. "This is the way you thank me for bringing you clothes, you whore?" he hissed as he tore my already tattered shirt. My struggles increased as his eyes roamed over my naked bruised skin. "No! Get off me! No!" I wasn't even aware that the frightened tired plea that I heard was mine, as he kissed me once again. I tried to writhe more fiercely under him as I felt his excitement press against my abdomen.

However, my struggles were in vain as I was obviously not as strong as him, especially in the miserable conditions I was in. His hand was squeezing around my breast as his tongue was forcing its way in my mouth when, for the third time that day, I heard the soft pitter patter of Jimmy's bare feet against the prison steps.

"Pia, I did as you-"he stopped suddenly. I had a vague idea of what had horrified him enough into silence. And thankfully, that was when the guard's (I still didn't know his name) lips left mine and his hand stopped roaming.

I'll never forget the look on Jimmy's face, the look of pure horrified terror. "Go on," the guard purred, an almost hypnotic tone entering his voice. Jimmy swallowed twice, before his eyes hardened.

He ran towards the open cell door, at top speed, grabbed the dangling keys and ran away. And miraculously (or not so miraculously) the guard jumped off from on top of me and ran after Jimmy.

As soon as the guard was gone, I hauled myself up, feelings stabs of pain all over my body, and was about to escape, when the prison guard came running down the stairs and locked the door with another set of keys before I could even blink. He chuckled upon seeing my open-mouthed surprise. "Thought you could escape so easily, did you? Well, think again, girl." He said. He paused then and said quietly to himself, "Although, I should think, we underestimated you. Who knew you could pull a stunt like this while in prison? A woman nonetheless," he grumbled to himself as he made his way back to where he came from.

I sighed as I hung my head, truly starting to give up. At that moment, I caught a glimpse of the bundle that the EITC guard had dropped, realizing that it was indeed a bundle of clothes, having forgotten the bundle in the first place. Even though they weren't my first choice of clothes, I was grateful for them. After all, a thin shift and a coarse dust-smelling dress are much better than a tattered dirty shirt and torn short breeches, right?

And yes, you guessed right, I changed my clothes, in the darkness of my cell (though how I managed to do it, I had no idea, since I was still manacled, I suspected it was an advantage of being Calypso's descendant. And who was I to not accept a blessing when it came?).

I settled against the wall, preparing myself to spend the night, not knowing that (what I calculated to be) several hours later, a light fretting would wake me from my semi-slumber. Before my blurry eyes could focus themselves, a dark shadow pressed a yellowing piece of parchment in my hand before melding back in the shadows and waltzing back up the stairs.

And all this happened without giving me any chance of realizing who he or she was, not that my night-vision (or in this case, my vision in the dark) was that good to begin with. I opened the fragile parchment with trembling hands upon which a single sentence was scrawled in a familiar writing.

_We are coming tomorrow, love._

**I really hope you enjoyed that! (At least enough to leave a review). You know the drill, leave reviews! The more the merrier is my motto. Thanks and till next time!**


	48. I love you too much: Chapter 48

**Alright people, sorry for the long wait, but I had a lot of work to do and had guy problems **_**again, **_**about the same guy. But anyway. I'd like to thank ****PanicPossessed****, ****jeffhardyluvsme**** and ****WordsWrittenByHeart****. And I'd also like to thank ****ValueMyHeart****, ****trainsgirl13**** and ****PanicPossessed**** for their wonderful reviews. Thanks a lot, you people are the best!**

**Disclaimer: I OWN POTC, not really.**

**Oh and please please pretty please, I would really appreciate if you voted at my poll.  
**

Third person's Point of View

Jimmy ran to the tavern by the cliffs, as if hell itself were after him. As soon as he entered the, now rowdy, tavern, he didn't stop. But as difficult as it was, he increased his speed, circling drunken men and flirting women. When he reached a table, which was in the back and partly, or rather mostly, in the dark, he stopped.

"Did you tell her?" a voice asked. Jimmy looked up to see a dreadlocked kohl-eyed man looking expectantly at him. Jimmy shook his head. "No, Captain Sparrow, I did not. There was a guard and he-"he interrupted himself as he looked at the floor and squeezed the ring of keys in his hands."Go on," Jack said, through narrowed eyes. Jimmy looked fleetingly at Mr. Gibbs from under his lashes, who at Jimmy's terrified glance opened his eyes in dread. "Maybe it be best if you didn't know, Jack," he whispered.

It would have been usual for Jack to reply with a witty comment. But all he did was shoot a glance at him, which clearly said '_Shut up and bugger off_,' and turned to Jimmy. "I'd like to know before she's hanged, Jimmy," Jack said impatiently. "He was being…nasty," Jimmy said, hoping that Jack would buy it.

"How?"

"Pia was…fighting. And he had cloths in his hands," Jimmy said, just as ambiguously as before. "Jimmy," Jack said warningly, shooting an annoyed look at him. He looked at Jack with wide eyes, "Will you take me away from here? Pia said that she would take me away with her," he said. "And why would I do that?" Jack asked. "Because you haven't repaid me, and because she promised," Jimmy said. "Aye, aye. Whatever," Jack said. "Promise me," Jimmy said. "Fine, I promise you. Tonight you sleep on _the Pearl_, and remain there. Happy?" Jack asked annoyed as Jimmy nodded.

"Now tell me."

"He was on her, kissing her and tearing her clothes," Jimmy said quickly as he slid behind Mr. Gibbs' chair. The silence that fell at Jack's table was so thick that it could have been cut with a knife. And then…

"WHAT?"

The explosion, which was known as Jack's angry exclamation, bewildered more than half his crew, who were sitting at a nearby large table. He stood up upturning his chair, his knuckles turning white as his death grip on his sword's pommel tightened. Mr. Gibbs tugged at his coat, trying to force him back into his chair, rather unsuccessfully.

"Jack, this is no time for rashness, as you very well know." he said. "You think – you expect me to – she was – I don't care!" he sputtered in anger as he made to move away from the table. Mr. Gibbs gave another powerful tug and managed to pull Jack in his chair as Elizabeth stood up.

"Right now, they're waiting for you to appear. Do you think that by getting yourself caught and hanged you would be helping her?" she hissed in his ear. "You, shut up and bugger off!" he spat, pointing a finger in her face. "She's right, Jack," Will said, as he put his hands on Elizabeth' shoulders and gently led her back to her seat.

"Of course, she's always right! She always has the best intentions at heart!" he said sarcastically, remembering when she burnt a great deal of good rum and when she left him as bait to the Kraken, as he put his rum bottle to his lips and downed a hearty gulp.

"Captain?" Jimmy's timid voice said, as he stepped from behind Mr. Gibbs. "What do you want?" Jack snapped. "I – I drew him away. And stole these," he said as he put the large rusty ring of jail keys in his hands. "Right, then I'm going to get her by me onsies," he said as he got up again, which only caused Mr. Gibbs to tug on his coat and pull him in his chair, again.

"Jack, Elizabeth was right. Right now, they're keeping watch for any sign that you might go to her aid. They'll catch you and force you to watch her being hung; do you think she'd thank you for it?" Emma sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "And you expect me to – Captain gives orders on the ship!" he said indignantly.

"We're not on a ship, _Captain_," Elizabeth said, annoyed, as Emma looked at her strangely. Jack vaguely heard Emma whisper "Why are you so angry?" to Elizabeth. But he didn't bother to listen to Elizabeth's reply.

He huffed, feeling like a petulant child, but knowing that the situation was much more serious. His anger melted, like butter in the sun, and he sighed as he buried his face in his hands. "What do you expect me to do? Just sit here while she's – there?" he whispered. His voice sounded so broken and raw with emotion that Will and Mr. Gibbs looked at each other alarmed.

"Wait for the opportune moment," Jimmy chimed in.

Pia's Point of View

Morning arrived and I was hauled out of my cell by midmorning for my execution, which was to take place at Fort Charles. I trudged towards the wooden podium, the shackles around my booted feet dragging and clanking on the cobbled floor.

I was wearing a dusty old scratchy black dress, my boots and, surprisingly, my hat, which had survived along with me. I know that I looked ridiculous, but I couldn't very much do anything being shackled and all, right? Yes, that's right, both my hands and my feet were shackled. Which was quite ridiculous really, seeing as I barely had enough energy to hold my eyes open, and therefore even less for any attempt at escape.

There were several murmurs as my feet stomped up the three wooden steps. I was steered towards a trapdoor on the floor which opened when the hangman pulled the lever. I battled a wave of panic as the man who read out the crimes started to recite mine while the drums beat away behind me.

"Priya Marie Sterlin be it known that you have-" At this I looked up directly towards him. "Excuse me? I'm sorry, sir, pardon my intrusion, but it's _Captain_ Priya Marie Sterlin," I said, wincing at saying my birth name.

He looked at me, shocked that I would dare interrupt him. He cleared his throat, and without giving any heed to my words, continued with his speech. "-that you have been sentenced to hang by the neck until dead for your willful commission of crimes against the crown. Said crimes being numerous in quantity and sinister in nature, the most egregious of these to be cited herewith; piracy, theft, assisting a wanted pirate, pillaging, plundering, looting, kidnapping, sailing under false colours, murder, partaking in trysts with a wanted pirate, depravity, depredation, pilfering, brigandage and general lawlessness. And for these crimes you have been sentenced to be, on this day, hung by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your soul."

My breath stopped as I felt the noose being fit around my neck securely. The drums began to beat faster and faster as the hangman walked slowly at his leisure towards the lever. He put his hand on the lever, and removed it again, adjusting his glove and scratching his side. He gripped again the lever and, after scanning the crowd once, pulled it as my throat constricted with fear.

The small trapdoor disappeared beneath my feet and the noose tightened around my neck, as I desperately writhed to find some kind of footage.

I was certain that I was going to die, when a single resonating shot echoed around the fort, and the tension in the rope suspending me in midair disappeared as I fell to the floor. And then my feet hit the ground in a jarring impact and my knees buckled underneath my weight and the force with which I had fell.

The noose was still around my neck, slightly tightened, hanging like a leash on a dog. Before I fell, I could barely stand, but after the fall, the impact on the broken bon bones, bruises and cuts was too much. However, I fought as hard as possible and managed to stand up underneath the podium (even though I was holding tightly against the wooden supports).

As I looked around, still finding the idea of running away daunting, I realized that the chaos and mess had erupted out of nowhere was incredible. The glorious chaos was being caused by prisoners which someone had released from Port Royal's prison. The reason why was so obvious to me, yet it danced out of my mental reach. And just at that moment, I saw a battered leather tricorner hat, which was so achingly familiar that it sent a wave of relief washing through my body.

The relief battled the anticipation that was keeping me on my feet, and I wavered, my vision starting to blur at the edges. However, I grasped the wooden posts beside me and tried to step back, effectively tripping myself in the chains binding my feet. My heart was thudding as I felt myself falling, wanting to scream out, or do something, but being quite unable to.

The person wearing the hat hurried towards the execution post, dodging a screaming prisoner.

And just before my skull connected with the cobblestoned floor, I saw Jack's face.

And then I blacked out.

Jack's Point of View

My heart was beating in my mouth as I saw her eyes narrow in confusion. She looked like a deadly ghost in a haunting apparition, and it scared me. Yet, I couldn't and didn't want to turn away. My mind was like a blank buzzing space as I saw her stumble and fall back and without my knowing, I ran forwards as my mouth parted in horror in a soundless scream as her name refused to come out of my lips.

I knew that she saw me; I knew that she recognized me. And that fact alone made me even more eager to free her from the restraints that they had put on her and let her fly free, in a manner of speaking. My arms extended themselves as if to catch her but it was too late as her hand, her thin bony hand, slipped out of my grasp.

"Pia!" The name rushed out of my mouth like a fish would flee another larger fish. I didn't even wait to contemplate the situation; I scooped her head up in my arms and covered her face in fervent kisses, wishing that I could breathe back life in her. I was sure that she had died, she never fainted, never. "Don't die, love, don't leave me alone," I whispered brokenly, as I brushed her grimy hair from her face.

I never believed that this moment would ever be a part of my life, but as soft as it sounds, I could feel the emotional pain becoming physical as something obstructed my throat and suddenly it was hard to breathe. I picked her up bridal style, still kneeling under the podium and felt my heart breaking as her limp body draped itself on my arms like a corpse.

"You're not dying on me like this now, love. I love you too much to let you do that," I croaked as I kissed her forehead. I tightened my hold on her, stood up and turned around, to face the chaotic mass together.

Third person's point of view

Jack's look was terrified, determined, and angry, in pain and with such gentleness mixed in one. The tenderness with which Jack had looked towards Pia and with which he was holding her, planted a small seed of doubt in Beckett's black heart. For a moment he wondered if maybe he had gone too far this time. However, he soon squashed the doubt before it could seize him under its snare.

"Mr. Marshall, I believe we are in need of reinforcements," Beckett said silkily, gazing upon the scene with interest. He had noticed that amongst the frenzied fray, there was not one member of the crew of _the Black Pearl_, except for Jack Sparrow.

At that moment, as he smiled, thinking that he had figured out Jack, the person he was thinking about turned to look straight at him. The faint look of tenderness drained from his eyes as black hatred and odium made his usually deep mischievous brown eyes go black and murderous with abhorrence.

He saw Jack hurrying towards him, and watched the pirate in turmoil as if in a trance. He vaguely felt his blonde airheaded fiancée grasp his arm in tight grip as Jack drew out a pistol. He cocked it and aimed it directly at Beckett's heart, and pulled the trigger.

At that precise moment, Marshall shoved him out of the way; however the shot still penetrated his shoulder. Screams and sobs reached his ears as he pushed weakly against the floor, searching for Jack in the hubbub.

"Sparrow!" he hissed, as his head fell back. Not only had he failed in hanging Pia Sterlin, but Jack Sparrow had slipped through his fingers yet again. He scanned the crowd again for his pirate nemesis carrying his dying love.

He was nowhere to be found.

**There, hope you liked it enough to leave a couple of reviews. So what do you think of Jack's confession? Let me know! Till next time then!**


	49. Flashback: Chapter 49

**So, this is the 49****th**** chapter. Hope you enjoy this people! I'd like to thank ****Nimway Emrys**** and ****lunarwitch16****. I'd also like to thank ****trainshirl13**** and ****PanicPossessed**** for their wonderful reviews, thanks people it really means a lot to me! Oh, and before I forget, I'm sorry for not updating sooner but I've been incredibly busy with college stuff and things. Just a not for the future, the updating of chapters may be a bit irregular, because in about 5 months (actually 4 and a half) I'll be doing exams to get in uni and start the doctor course, so yeah….terribly busy.**

**Something I've nearly forgotten, if you feel the need to read another good POTC story, check out ****ValueMyHeart****'s **Tales of the Abandoned Wife,** it's a wonderful story.**

**And please! Do participate in my poll, I need more input!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own POTC, unfortunately.**

Third person's point of view

Jack ran all the way to the cliffs. One might think that the narrow goat path that he had to descend would deter him, however, if it was possible, his speed increased. His dark eyes darted from Pia's ashen face, to the path, to Will waiting in a small stolen fishing boat, to _the Pearl _(which was ready to set sail as soon as they arrived).

The boat bobbed dangerously up and down as Jack jumped the last two or three feet, landing in a cat-like manner next to Will. He placed the woman in his arms gently at the bottom of the skiff, her back propped against the bench. And as soon as he saw that there was no danger of her falling sideways, he sat next to Will, took up an oar and started rowing silently.

They covered the distance between the cliffs and _the Pearl_ in a very short time and as soon as the skiff bumped into _the Pearl's_ hull, he picked up Pia and placed her on his shoulder (in a rather precarious position). The rope ladder was thrown down to them and in the time span of ten seconds, Jack had ascended and was standing on deck. He took Pia down from his shoulder and held her as he would cradle an infant to his chest. Without answering any of the crew's questions, he hurried to his cabin where he kicked the door shut.

He didn't notice that two persons were silently waiting for him by the window. And so, murmuring sweet nothings to the woman in his arms, Jack placed her gently on the coarse lumpy bed. The two persons by the window nodded to each other as one of them, Mr. Remington, strode out of the cabin and the other walked over to Jack, who was sitting beside Pia, stroking her hair and holding her limp hand.

The person placed a slender hand on Jack's shoulder, as he briefly looked up in Magdalene's green cat-like eyes. However, he soon focused his gaze back on the battered woman on his bed. Magdalene put her hand in her dress's folds and pulled out a very small dried flower. "What are you doing?" Jack hissed when he saw her advance towards Pia, as his grip tightened around the limp hand. "Wakin' 'er up," Magdalene replied, as she gently opened Pia's mouth and dropped the tiny flower down her throat. She closed her mouth, and placed her hand over Pia's forehead as she closed her eyes. As she muttered a soft incantation in a foreign language, that not even Jack could understand, Magdalene moved back, breathing slightly harder, and moved out of the cabin silently.

As soon as her dark green skirt brushed out of sight, Mr. Remington walked in, followed by Pintel and Ragetti, who were carrying a large wooden Japanese tub (that they had acquired during their last raid) full of warm water. "You can leave," Remington told Pintel and Ragetti as he opened his small leather bag.

"You as well, Captain," he said as he cast a fleeting look at Jack. Jack's glance darkened considerably, as he replied with a simple growled "No." "Please captain, my concentration suffers when I'm being observed. So if you could please leave," he said gently. However, the ship's doctor's advice went unheeded as Jack's burning glance turned smouldering. His mouth was set in a thin line as he glared at Mr. Remington. "Get out." He whispered dangerously.

"But Captain-"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

Remington sighed as he left his leather bag open and walked out of the cabin. "Tell me when you want to tend to her wounds."

"If you don't get out-"

However, Jack's threat was interrupted as the door closed and Remington was gone. Jack's gaze softened as he looked at Pia. He removed his coat, hat and weapons and pushed up his sleeves. "It's just you an' me, love. No need to be afraid. That's right, you an' ol' Jack," he whispered as he took a knife and cut open her dress.

The knife clattered to the floor as he stared at her abdomen in horror. She was covered in bruises and cuts, the bullet wound that she had received in the Mediterranean was red and looked quite painful, and her ribs were sticking out, which to Jack seemed rather impossible seeing as she had only been Beckett's captive for a short time. His throat contracted as he swallowed and looked at her shackled limbs.

His eyes hurried to his cluttered desk as he got up and walked over to it, his usual sway absent. Clatters and shuffles where heard as he searched around, dropping bottles and maps over the sides of the table, and when he found a small golden hair ornament that he had intended to give to Pia before she was captured by Beckett, he gazed at it sadly.

It was very simple; a bent wire of gold with a golden rose at the end. It was the size of a small strawberry, studded with small lapis lazuli gems. It was a pretty little thing, and very simple. However, he knew that it would look quite lovely in Pia's bouncing curls (even though he was quite sure that it could only be used as an ornament, seeing as the clip was too small to hold back her voluminous locks).

Jack hurried back to Pia's shackles where he inserted the pin's bent part in the keyhole, and after several annoying moments, he heard a satisfying click and the shackle fell off from one hand. The shackles binding her other hand and feet were soon removed in the same fashion, and in one swift motion of his hand, Pia was free of any clothing. He picked her up gently and took her to the tub, where he placed her in a sitting position, as he took a chamomile scented soap that they had taken along with the tub. As he soaked his hands and the soap and started to lather a small piece of soft clean cloth, he let his gaze wander across her abused skin once more.

Her eyes were closed and slightly puffy, her long dark eyelashes resting lightly on her pale bruised cheeks. Her lips were slightly swollen and cracked, with droplets of blood dried in the cracks. Her neck had several thin bruises, in the form of fingers. Realization dawned on Jack that someone had tried to strangle her. The healed bullet wound in her chest was red and looked quite painful, to say the least. One of her breasts was slightly swollen and a thin deep wound with a slightly jagged edge ran from her collarbone up her shoulder and down her back.

He frowned as he pushed Pia's hair aside and leaned her forwards, only to realize that she had been whipped, as he observed the painful gashes that were obviously left untreated. He leaned her back with a sigh as he started rubbing gently the soft cloth from her neck down her shoulders, removing the filth that had accumulated on her skin. He immersed the cloth slightly in the warm water and lathered it again.

"What have they done to you?"

He meant it as a rhetorical question, however, he received the answer when he was sponging away the dirt from her shoulders down her right arm. His movements stilled in horror and the soap and cloth dropped from his suddenly limp hand to land with a splash in the water. His lips parted in anguish as the red angry 'P' on Pia's arm glared mockingly up at him. His vision blurred as images from his mind started replaying themselves in front of his eyes.

_He was young and he worked for Cutler Beckett, transporting goods. _

_He was angry. _

_Jack had not agreed to transport people, only goods, even though the people were slaves. So he was striding towards Cutler's mansion in Port Maria. The knock sounded ominous as it echoed in the mansion. The butler opened the door with a creek. _

"_Mr. Beckett's been expecting you, Captain Sparrow." He said as he led the way to Cutler's study. Jack followed him, too angry to notice the lack of people in the place. As they arrived, he opened the door without knocking and strode in, banging the door shut. His mind didn't register the door locking, or the two EITC guards standing next to the door. All he saw was Beckett, sitting at his desk with a goblet of wine and his partner in crime, Mr. Mercer, by the window._

"_Care to explain?" was all he said, as he placed his hands on the desk and leaned forwards. His colourful speech, the one that he had prepared, was forgotten. _

"_As a matter of fact, I was going to ask for _your_ explanation, Captain. Why is it, that a precious and expensive load of mine was unloaded in a different port tan the one I requested?" _

_Jack put his finger to his chin in mock thinking. "I have no idea what you're talking about, mate. All I did was stop at Tortuga, where my guests wanted to stop, and come back here. You had no cargo. Why?" Jack said. _

"_Mr. Mercer, please open the window." Beckett said as he turned back to Jack with a shadow of a smirk on his face. He observed the very young man in front of him. He had been trying to doctrine Jack into a respectable citizen. He knew that it was a difficult task, what with living with his unmarried mother in Tortuga and his father being a pirate. However, he thought that his father was a merchant. So innocent. Almost naive, really. _

_But he had changed. His hair was no longer short and neat, it was longer and had some dreadlocks in it, probably done by a slave that he had freed, and held back by a red bandana. His eyes had a dark shade of kohl around them. And his clothes were starting to fade. His fingers were adorned with two rings; one with an emerald jewel, the other with a skull. He was clean shaven and his eyes were sharp. _

"_Actually that was my cargo, Jack. You've cost me quite a lot of money in freeing _my _slaves." _

_A low burning smell was drifting through the window. _

"_Well, I'm not going to transfer my ship into a slaver, savvy? Nasty smelly things." Jack said, muttering the last remark to himself. _

"_You work for me; ergo your ship belongs to me." _

_Jack glared at him."You wish." He hissed. He stopped and sniffed the air. "What's this smell? Smells like something's on fire." _

_Beckett waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing, just a hunk of wood that I had. And that I have no more need for." Beckett stood up and walked around his desk towards Jack. "You know, you never cease to amuse me, _Captain_," he said, lacing the title with mockery. _

"_And you never cease to amaze me," Jack said. _

_Cutler smiled a sly smile. _

"_With your insensitivity, selfishness and over ambition." He finished. _

_Cutler's smile disappeared as he stood up and walked around the desk towards Jack. "_You_ are calling _me_ insensitive? _You_, who steals more than he breathes?" _

"_I'm like Robin Hood. He stole from the tax payers, the rich people you know?" "And I wonder, do you give to the poor?" _

"_Me? Of course, I do! Tortuga's full of poor people." _

"_Poor people, or prostitutes?" _

"_They're still people and they're still poor. Therefore they're poor people. Generosity's good you know. And it comes in the form of _fighting against slavery_ as well." _

_Cutler paused in his pacing, and smiled, an action which Jack didn't like. "Jack, you would have been a great lawyer, if you only let me lead you. But I'm afraid that I can't let you become one. You stole from me." _

"_I didn't." _

"_Yes you did, and theft is punishable by law. But I don't want you to hang." _

"_Then don't order the hanging." _

"_I'm afraid it's more complex than that. But don't worry, your penance has already been delivered." He walked towards the window and looked out towards the dock, where a burning mass that resembled a ship was burning. Jack followed him and froze as soon as he saw the burning ship. _

"_What did you do?" Jack's voice was broken and rough, as if he was holding back his tears. He shook his head and turned to Beckett. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" as soon as the furious, rugged question escaped Jack's lips, he turned on Beckett and his fist flew towards his face. There was a sickening crack and blood poured freely from Beckett's nose. His head snapped backwards, as he staggered, holding his nose. Jack's fist descended again, this time landing on Beckett's eye. _

"_That's _MY_ ship!" Jack screamed as he grabbed him from his throat and threw him over his desk, scattering the clutter and filling the floor with ink, paper, quills and spilled wine. He kicked the spindly desk aside, breaking its leg and he paused. He picked up the wooden leg, and smashed it on Beckett's stomach, his mouth set in a snarl. Beckett twisted, his arms covering his stomach, and just as Jack was about to deliver the second blow, someone ripped the table-leg-turned-club from his hand and punched him in the side of his face. He staggered backwards, flexing his jaw as he saw Mercer help Beckett stand up._

_And it was only then that he noticed the two guards, who weren't standing by the door anymore but at his side, pinning his arms to his side. Beckett was standing and Mercer was walking towards a corner, where he picked up a metal bucket with a thick cloth and carried it to Beckett. Jack narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he struggled against the guards. _

"_By defying my orders, you have condemned yourself as a pirate, just like your father." Beckett said. "My father is not a pirate, he's a merchant!" Jack spat. "You're so childlike, for a smart person. How do you think that a simple merchant manages such lavish clothing?" _

"_He's lucky." _

"_Oh, don't get me wrong, he is. He's lucky to escape the noose for so long. You, however, are not quite so lucky." _

_Jack stared at him, confused anger turning to horror as he saw that the bucket was filled with red hot coals and three pokers poking out. Beckett took out each one of them in turn. "'S' for Slave, 'T' for Thief and 'P' for Pirate. Mr. Mercer, please hold out his right arm." Beckett put the S and T brands back in the bucket and advanced towards Jack like a prey to his predator, as Mercer put down the bucket and held out Jack's arm in an iron-tight grip. _

_As the red hot P descended on his skin, it burned his hairs and scorched his skin. He bit his lip as the metal touched his arm and screamed as Beckett pressed it with unnecessary force. The brand stayed on his arm much longer than was necessary and by the time that Beckett removed it, Jack was sagging against the guards. A fresh scream tore through his throat as the remaining wine in Beckett's bottle was poured on Jack's burning brand. _

_He looked down at his arm, where an ugly agonizing 'P' was marring the otherwise perfect skin. "'P' for pirate," Beckett said mockingly. As he looked down at his brand, all the lies that he'd been fed from his mother about his father flashed before his eyes. All the lies, false words and assurances, his identity...gone. He could almost hear his mother, muttering the false assurances _"Not pirate...honest...merchant...lucky..."

_And he was filled with a blinding rage. An animalistic roar ripped through Jack's chest as he slipped from between the guards', now slack, grip, surprising Beckett and even Mercer. He pulled out a poker from the coal bucket, the 'S' at the end glowing red. He ripped Beckett's thin shirt material from his arm and before anyone could react, pressed the S down on his arm. "S for Slaver," Jack spat at the screaming Beckett as he picked up the broken desk leg and hurled it to the window, shattering the glass in a thousand pieces. _

_He ran towards the broken glass, and jumped, scratching his arms and legs against the pieces of glass that were still held to the window frame. "Shoot him!" the loud command didn't even surprise him, but the stinging pain in his leg did. The sprint that he had just broken into halted as his leg refused to work and he fell, rolling down the soft lawn grass towards the wall. He braced himself, gritted his teeth and stopped himself, as he hauled himself up and ran, or rather limped, out the gate, miraculously missing the bullets that were being shot at him. _

_He limped towards the docks, stopping on the wooden pier and looking hopelessly towards the burning ship and his crew, swimming towards land. His ship was burning, and his 'P' brand was burning. Tears threatened to run down his face, but he blinked furiously to stop. _

_A hand, suddenly gripped his burning brand._

Pia's point of view

I could feel warm water around my body. It was very comfortable, and confusing. The last thing I remembered was my execution and Jack's interruption, therefore preventing it. The water swirled slowly around me. I had no idea where I was, and my assumptions where utterly ridiculous, too ridiculous to even think about them.

I peeled open my eyes open and looked around, to find myself in a tub of warm water in Jack's cabin, while Jack himself was kneeling by the tub, loosely holding a piece of cloth. He was staring in the tub in horror, most probably thinking about my injuries. The look on his face was so agonizingly painful that I couldn't stop myself from bringing him out of his reverie. I gripped his hand lightly, whispering his name.

He gasped as he jerked, pulling his hand from my loose grip and griping his own arm. He was breathing hard, as if he had run a long way, and he was gripping his arm in a very tight protective manner, with a crazed look in his eyes. As soon as he looked at me, he exhaled, closed his eyes briefly and opened them again, as he released his arm. I noticed that he had been gripping his 'P' brand. His look wandered back to the tub, and I realized then that he was not looking _in_ the tub, but at my arm, the branded one.

His eyes tightened as he looked back up in my eyes. "No more dress up for me now, eh?" I said, referring to the fact that I couldn't disguise myself as a commoner anymore, at least not without risk. "You think this is funny?" he whispered as he dipped his hand in the tub, picked up a bar of soap and lathered the cloth in his hand. I shrugged, and winced, feeling the pain from the lashings that I had received on my journey to Port Royal. As he rubbed my arm softly, he examined the brand.

"They didn't treat it," he stated. I knew it was impossible to lie; as it was it was infected, a sure sign that it was left untreated. "No, they didn't." I said. Jack's soft caress came harder on my skin.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry."

Silence fell over us as Jack continued to wash me. I know it sounds rather...odd, but I was quite incapable of twisting around to wash myself properly. I desperately wished that he would say something. The looks in his eyes were terrible; shifting from anger to agony to sympathy to heartbreak and back to anger.

"Where's my ship?" I questioned suddenly. My heart was thudding painfully, already knowing what he was going to say and desperately wishing for him to say what I wasn't expecting. "She's in Tortuga for repairs." He said.

"Jack, please don't lie to me. Who was responsible?"

"I don't know what you-"

I sighed.

"Jack, please."

"Smith."

I was shocked to learn that it was someone who had been with us for quite some time. Smith had been on my ship since I had first got it, and before that he had been on _the Pearl_.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, that he was the one behind this. He was the one to lead mutiny on your ship."

"So, all of my crew are now against me?"

"No not all. Emma, Elizabeth and Will are still on your side. Mabel and Beatrice, you know, the two women from your crew, and Tobias and his friends."

"That's all? Ten people? Only ten people found me acceptable as a Captain?" I said. I was quite dismayed. When I still had my ship, I treated everyone fairly. I was sympathetic, friendly, worked hard, thought and rethought strategies, made sure that I lost as least as possible crewmen, served good food on my ship, gave them enough time in ports and the income that they had was quite nice. I thought I had been a great /captain, after all I really worked hard for it. But apparently, that wasn't enough. My dismay must have been quite evident on my face because Jack raised a soapy hand and brushed my hair behind my ear softly.

"Nay, love. You were quite a good Captain, it's them that were unable to see it. They'll come crawling back to you, mark me words darlin'."

**That's all, hope you liked it! Please review, it's not much, just a simple click and a couple of words. But it helps me along so much. Thanks, and until next time!**


	50. Stronger, Larger and Deadlier:Chapter 50

**Alright, so I sincerely want to apologize for the long wait, but I had a load full of work (still am busy as a matter of fact), had some…uh… 'Complications' (so to speak) with a guy and general business overall. So here's a long chapter to compensate.**

**I'd also like to thank ****Vita****Artista****, ****Rain falling in my life**** and ****lovetoreadX5-837****. My thanks also go to ****ValueMyHeart****, ****trainsgirl13****, ****Vita Artista****, ****Jack Sparrow's number one fan**** and ****lori**** for their lovely reviews. Thanks a lot people! Your support really means so much to me.**

**Reply to reviews:**

**Jack Sparrow's number one fan****:**

**Hi, thanks for your review. I am so glad that you liked my story so much so far! And I'm also pleased that I managed to portray Jack good, I mean, I was a little worried that I was picturing him a little too committed towards Pia. Thanks again!**

**lori:**

**Hi! I'm so glad that you like my story so much! And you're right, Beckett needs a taste of his own medicine, doesn't he? And as for Jack killing Beckett, he did try, didn't he? But I think he'd be more concerned in keeping Pia alive rather than having his revenge on Beckett. We'll see what he does in the future though. Thanks again for your support!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own POTC.**

I was sitting in Jack's bed, freshly washed and smelling of chamomile, hair washed and brushed, wounds tended and bound in bandages and well fed. It seemed as if during the day and a half that it had taken Jack to come up with a plan for my escape, _the Pearl_ had been restocked with food to the brim.

I know what you're most probably wondering about, about the rescue, right?

I found it was actually quite simple when I thought about it. The hangman had been bribed to pull the lever only when he saw that Jack was near the front of the crowd. When the rope around my neck was taut enough, and I was still alive, Jack was to shoot the rope and I was to fall through the trap door. The prisoners that Jack had released, using the ring of keys that Jimmy had stolen, were to unleash hell at that moment, and I was to follow Jack, being veiled by the chaos, to the cliffs. There, Will would have been waiting for us to take us to _the Pearl_ and we'd sail away.

The plan was actually a good one, a very good one, in my opinion. However, there was one important factor that Jack had overlooked; he had forgotten to consider my condition.

There was a knock on the door and I looked up to see Jack closing the door behind him. I smiled at him as he smiled back at me, but my smile turned into a grimace as soon as I saw that he was holding a tray of fruit and a glass of milk (I suspected that it found its way on the ship thanks to Jimmy). I observed the pineapple, grapefruit, coconut, mango, cherries, otaheite apples, banana, orange and tangerine in horror.

"Jack, you can't honestly expect me to eat more. I already ate Gibbs' salted beef soup, the stolen meat pie and half a bottle of honeyed milk!" I exclaimed as I eyed the tray, that was now placed on my lap, as if it had wronged me in some way. Jack was still standing and as he stood tall, pushed out his chest and crossed his arms, looking very much like a reprimanding father.

"I do expect you to eat and you will eat. Now start eating!" he said. The situation was very much like that between a father and a daughter, even though my relationship with Jack was very different from that.

"But-" I started weakly.

"Eat!"

I huffed as I picked up the glass of milk and took a sip. I placed it back down on the tray.

"Done."

"Pia…"

"But, Jack I honestly can't eat anymore. If I force down anything else, I'm likely to throw up. You don't want me to do that, do you?"

He sighed as he sat beside me.

"Let's make deal, savvy? If you eat, I'll spend me day in here with you, tha's more than fair."

"Share the fruit with me, stay in here with me all day and I'll eat as much as I possibly can."

"Ye' drive a hard bargain, love." He sighed as he picked up a cherry and held it up to my lips. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I only have my left arm broken, Sparrow." I said as I took it with my lips and ate it slowly. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm tryin' to be romantic, darlin', better make the most o' it an' not get used to it too much." He grumbled. My cheeks instantly reddened as I looked down at the soft cotton nightgown that I was wearing. "Oh, I – I didn't realize," I said as I took a cherry and held it to his lips as he took it the same way I did. A small smirk twisted his lips as he took the glass of milk and held it to my lips as I drank it. I took a piece of an orange and held it his lips as he bit into it. I looked at his lips as a small drop of the fruit's juice clung to his lush upper lip.

A smile crept on my face, unnoticed by me and very much noticed by Jack, as I raised a finger to his lips and wiped his lips, as if in a trance. Jack's eyes sought mine as I brought down his head and kissed his nose. "Thank you, Jack." I whispered. He didn't say anything, but his raw emotional eyes said all I needed to know as he picked up the tray, placed it on the floor and turned back to me, placing his lips on mine in a soft gentle kiss filled with passion and need.

I tangled my hand in his dark hair and he leaned me back on the rather lumpy pillows, as my lips responded to his in a perfect symphony. The kiss was getting rougher by the second, and pretty soon I was gasping for breath. The gasp for air turned into a gasp of pain as the stinging sensation in my back registered in my mind. Jack turned on his back and brought me on top of him, as his hand buried itself in my hair and gently kissed my lips again.

I kissed him back, running a finger down his chest. He groaned as he caught my wrist in his rough but gentle hands. "Don't go in tha' area, darlin'. You know you're too fragile at the moment," he said, his voice low and husky. "I was only following your lead," I whispered back as he groaned, before his lips touched mine again.

_Later on_

Nothing happened between Jack and I, he kept pulling back whenever things got a little too passionate for my 'condition'. And even though he had promised he would stay with me in his cabin for the rest of the day, there was some kind of squabble on deck and he had to leave to 'deliver the verdict'.

However, I was far from lonely.

I was still sitting in bed, with Mabel, Beatrice, Emma and Elizabeth keeping me company. There was a very tense and awkward moment, when they were looking at me and when I caught them looking, they would look away. I sighed as I pushed my elbow in the pillow to puff it a little.

"You know, if you don't want to be here, you can go out on deck." I said.

"No it's not that, it's-"Elizabeth hesitated and stopped. She looked towards Beatrice, as if pleading her to continue. Beatrice sighed and turned towards me. "It's that it would be better for you to rest instead of try and play host." She explained. "Play host? Ha!" I said as I sat up.

"You honestly think I can play host in this condition?"

"See? That is exactly why I told Jack that it would be better for her to sleep instead of have company." Mabel said. "Mabel, I really appreciate your concern and such. But I've been out of touch with the pirate world for far too long. Trust me, I'm not as fragile as you think I am." I said.

"I told you she would say this. Now pay up," Emma said as she thrust her hand towards Elizabeth. Elizabeth frowned at her. "Come on, I'm waiting," Emma said, wriggling her hand with an impatient smirk on her face. "So let me get this straight," I said, trying not to laugh as Elizabeth put a bar of soap, which had been hidden in her pants' pocket, in Emma's hand. "You were betting on my reaction for a bar of soap? That's not even fair! You know it's quite obvious what I would have done."

"On the contrary, we don't really know you that well," Beatrice said.

"I was your captain."

"Exactly, we respected you and kept our distance."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because?"

"Because, because!"

"That's not a good reason!"

"It is to me."

"Is not!"

"It is!"

"Is not!"

"Shut it!"

Beatrice and I looked at Mabel, who was standing up, looking very much like an angry aunt. I frowned as I crossed my arms, and yelped as I uncrossed them again. "Instead of bickering like children, why don't we have our own night, women only?" Elizabeth said. "That's a good idea," Mabel said. "I'll just go over to the cook and-"

"Hold it, Jack put you to this, didn't he?" I asked.

"No. what makes you think that?"

"Oh please, he's been trying to shovel food down my throat since I woke up. The only thing I'll even think of putting near my mouth is rum."

"But-"

"I know captain's orders. You had to do what he said. But I'm your captain, Mabel. So I'm ordering you to scrap what _he_ said and do as _I_ say."

"Oh, come on. Just let the poor woman be. How much can she possibly eat in one day?" Emma said. "See? Now that's what I call good understanding and good obedience of the captain," I said as I nodded towards Emma.

I examined the situation in a split second; Emma was sitting in an armchair one leg over the handle, Elizabeth was sitting beside my legs on the bed while Beatrice and Mabel were both sitting on a crate that they had dragged inside. I was weaponless, in the presence of two female pirates, the daughter of a pirate and King of the Brethren. Not a very nice situation to be in, especially when one is hurt and weaponless.

"Can you please bring me my boots?" I said, to no one in particular. Beatrice, who was the closest to my boots, picked them up from the top and put them beside me on the floor. "Thanks." I paused as I was about to take out the items that I had hidden in my boots, and shrugged. There were no secrets on a ship; they would learn the truth sooner or later. So I took out the Celtic ring that Calypso had given me, which enabled me to speak and understand any language, the Sparrow pendant that Jack had given me when we were still children and the golden piece of eight, signifying my Lordship of the Mediterranean. I quickly put on the ring and fastened the two chains around my neck. The look on Elizabeth's face was priceless. She shook her head in disbelief.

"Only you and Jack are able to face certain death and escape in a better off condition." I raised an eyebrow at her, nodding my head towards my several injuries.

"So to speak." she concluded.

"Wait, is that a Sparrow necklace?" Beatrice said, as soon as she saw one of my pendants, which I hadn't hid very well underneath my nightdress. I frowned as I covered it with my hand. "Yes, it is. Jack gave it to her," Emma said. However, she quickly clamped her mouth shut at the look I sent her. Beatrice was still oblivious to this as she stared at the pendant.

"He must really love you to have given that to you," she whispered.

"What?"

"I-I mean, it's obvious that he likes you, more than likes you. It's like he's trying to leave his mark on you, or mark you as his own."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "And why do you think that?"

"Jack _Sparrow_ gave you a _sparrow_ necklace."

I sighed as I shook my head. "Honestly, you read too many romantic stories before you became a pirate. He gave this necklace when we were still children. He was _fifteen or sixteen_. I was _twelve _years old."

"You were friends when you were young?" Elizabeth asked, sounding like an excited preadolescent girl. My frown deepened. "Yes, obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be here, would I?"

To be precise, no woman was there (on _the Pearl_) thanks to Jack's decision; I was there because I had threatened him, Elizabeth was there due to her Kingship, Emma due to my insistence and Beatrice and Mabel because they were part of my crew.

Everyone was looking at me in a way that told me that they were expecting something of me. I didn't want to, honestly I didn't, but I found myself recounting several tales from my childhood.

"So _that's_ why Jack hates Gibbs cat so much!" Elizabeth exclaimed as I had recounted. "Well, how can he not hate cats? After Pia dared him in front of his friends to shave off his mother's cat, he couldn't very well decline could he? Not when he wanted to, how should I say it, appear tough as all boys do. And we all know that cats simply _love_ to sharpen their claws." Mabel said.

"Too bad Jack ended up being a sharpening tool for the cat," I said, as we all burst out laughing. "How old were you when you dared him?" Emma asked. "I don't know, seven, or eight? Perhaps nine?" I replied.

"You were just like a boy, you know that, don't you?"

"Yes, I know. Used to drive my poor mother up the wall nearly every day of the week."

"No wonder. The poor woman had to deal with the likes of a young you, and probably a more devious than you slightly older Jack." Mabel said.

"What did Jack do to get back at you?" Beatrice asked.

"Get back at me for what?"

"You know, the cat farce?"

"Oh that, well he-" I stopped and winced, not in pain but from the memory. "He made me dress in a pink frilly dress."

They stared at me. "That's not so bad." Elizabeth said. "I imagined something more…creative."

"Oh, trust me, it _was_ bad. Try to imagine, a girl who runs around boys; climbing trees, inventing mischief in the port and generally increase the mayhem around the taverns…in a dress."

"Well, if you put it that way, then yes, I suppose it was rather bad. But if it was just for one day than-"

"A week."

"What?"

"It was for a whole week."

"Tell us about your mother." Beatrice said. I looked away out of the window, my mother's face suddenly very vivid in my mind's eye. "You don't have to." Beatrice whispered.

"My mother's name was Martha Sterlin. She wasn't very tall, slightly shorter than me in fact. She had curly red hair, long curly red hair. Her eyes were blue and she was pale. Almost like porcelain. She was slim." I stopped, as my throat convulsed. "I – I don't really know how else to describe her, except that she was kind, very kind."

"How did she meet your father?"

"She was swimming in a small secluded beach. That was where she met him. Tall, dark, handsome, mysterious, Mediterranean."

"Mediterranean? How did he end up in the Caribbean?"

"By ship, obviously. He was a Captain."

"What happened? Did they fall in love? Did he marry her?"

"Not really. My mother fell in love with him, that she did. But he didn't. He was already married. So when his time was up, he left her to go back to the Mediterranean and his wife. He left her with me. He left her to become a prostitute."

There was an awkward silence, one that made everyone feel uncomfortable to break it, even me. "Now it's your turn to tell me what's going on." I said, as I adjusted myself, rather painfully might I add. "When you say '_your'-"_ Elizabeth started. "I mean you, Elizabeth. Privately. It concerns Will." I said. An alarmed frown appeared on her face, as Emma, Beatrice and Mabel stood up to leave.

As soon as the door closed, I motioned for her to get closer, to reduce the chance of any eavesdropping that there was sure to be. "Come, I can't talk loudly." I whispered as she came closer.

"What's wrong with Will?" she asked, her worry was so evident in her voice that for a moment she didn't appear like the King of the Brethren that she was, but rather like a poor sailor's wife.

"Nothing. Now tell me, did you, Jack, Will and Gibbs come up with any ideas of why Jones isn't after us yet?" "Oh," she stopped and took a deep breath, obviously relieved that her beloved one was in no danger, at least at the moment.

"We're thinking that most probably, he's trying to regain another monster pet."

"Any ideas what said pet might be?"

"No, although Gibbs seems convinced that he's after the Lusca. You know, a cross between a gigantic octopus and a shark?"

"Yeah, I know what it is. Any other ideas as to why he's lying low?"

"Yes, there's also the theory, and this one belongs to Jack and Will. Jones was so adamant on getting Jack under his fingernails, and according to Jack you will be as well, that there's going to be another colossal 'chase'. We're thinking that he's recruiting a new crew; stronger, larger and deadlier."

**So, what do you think? Liked it enough to leave a review? Would like to leave a tip for improvement in a review? Tell me what you think! Till next time then people!**

**Oh, and please take part in my poll. I know I've left it open for a really long time now, but seeing as I'm ultra extra busy, I decided to leave it open to decide which story I'll start when I'd be writing 'Ocean Kiss''s sequel (Yes, there's going to be a sequel).  
**


	51. Pain, without love: Chapter 51

**Alright, so I'd like to say I am SO sorry for not uploading in such a long time. But I had my Chemistry and Biology Advanced exams (which I MUST get a high grade in to get in the Medicine course in university), there were a lot (and I mean a lot) of problems in our group of friends, problems with my cousins, I can't find a summer job (and I need money to spend this summer) and problems with a guy...again (honestly, I think someone's cursed me this year...) and a huge writer's block...**

**Here's chapter 51, I'll be working on 52 immediately (but I can't promise when it'll be out).**

**I'd also like to thank ****Lilia Jasmine****, ****IzouRin****, ****PRM 131313****, ****You cant rush science.****, ****animechick113****,**** M-marije-e****, ****JackSparrowLover4ever****, ****SeSsYlOvEr2956 ****and ****princesswolfie. ****Thanks also to ****Hope this Helps****, ****lori****, ****SailorSorcerer****, ****Vita Artista****, and ****88dragon06.**

**Review replies:**

**Hope this Helps**

**Hi, thanks a lot for your help and suggestion. I will redo those parts during this summer (which will start in about 2-3 weeks where I live). But right now, I'm focusing on finishing this story and starting out the plotting for the sequel. The thing is that when I started writing out this story I was still a little green in writing so...:/. Thanks though, I will go through and re write those parts .**

**Lori**

**Thanks I really appreciate!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own POTC...**

Elizabeth's words worried me to no end.

I spent the rest of the day worrying and reading about the Lusca from Jack's books; even though I already knew what I needed to know.

And that night was no better than my day either. Neither for me, nor for Jack...

Jack had just gotten back from his watch and I was drowsing quietly in a corner, quite unable to sleep. But I was finally lulled into a soft slumber when Jack wrapped his arms around me...only to wake up again holding my ribcage and unable to gasp in pain. It felt as if a fire was burning where my heart was supposed to be, while an icy cold metal thread was being pulled along in my ribs.

I barely registered Jack's hysterical pleas to tell him what was going on or what I was feeling. The only thing that wrung a reaction out of me was when I felt Jack's hands on my shoulders; except that his gentle touch felt like a smouldering iron vice around my shoulder. I gasped and my body jerked forwards, jumping cleanly out of his hands as my eyes rolled in the back of my head. My back arched backwards and my hands fisted themselves in the bed sheets while my body thrashed in the bed.

"Pia! For the love of God! Stop thrashin' around and tell me what's goin' on!"

I tried to speak to him, honestly I did, but the only sound that I was capable of doing was a deep gurgle in the back of my throat. I felt Jack's body on my own as he straddled me, trying in vain to stop my thrashing. But his usually comforting weight sent a jolt of fire through my body.

Jack leapt up from the bed and ran out of the cabin, his usual sashaying flamboyant manner forgotten, and a moment later he ran back into the room, with Magdalene in tow. I don't know what happened, I really don't. The icy cold metal thread had moved from my ribs to neck and skull, and I was clutching my head...grinding my teeth and trying not to scream in agony.

And a moment later, I felt myself relaxing against my will. The pain melted away, and I drifted away into a cool sleep. I vaguely remember Magdalene saying "She will 'ave a dreamless sleep until tomorro' morning," in her heavy Cuban-accented voice.

_I was standing in a room._

_I knew the room. _

_The floor was a little dusty and the bed was creaky. The moth-eaten curtains barely gave any privacy, but the moon shone brilliantly through the dirty windows. A rug was curled around itself near the closed door, suggesting that someone had left in a hurry. I looked at the bed, and saw that someone was sleeping in it. _

_A woman. _

_A young woman._

_I gasped as I recognized her mass of curly hair. The woman was thin and shapely. Her tanned sun kissed skin gleamed in the moonlight. She opened her eyes, which were as black as the sea at night, and sat up. She held the bed sheet to her naked chest as she ran a hand through her tangled hair and looked around in confusion. _

"_Where are you?" she whispered as she wrapped the sheet around her body and stood up. She winced as she walked, or rather hobbled, around to the other side of the bed and ran her hand over the dented pillow, which showed that someone had slept there. She looked around the room and saw that there was no hint of the person she was looking for or of his clothes. _

"_Jack, where are you?" she whispered, a slight tremor entering her voice, not wanting to believe the truth. _

_She was so naive._

_She looked at the pillow again and spotted a battered yellowed piece of parchment. _

_She picked it up and read the perfectly written words._

Luv,

I'll be long gone when you read this. Just wanted to say thanks for everything. I really appreciate the boost you've given me with the money and in bed this night. You're a pearl, Pia.

Jack

"_No," my younger self whispered, this time her voice was broken. No slight tremor, no shallow fear. This was a full, blown out shattered whisper. _

_I could feel my heart breaking one more time. It felt as if an invisible chisel was being plunged in my heart, and instead of giving it a clean cut, shattering it into a thousand pieces. The pain that I felt, both the younger me and the older me, was physical. It's really difficult to describe it. It's like a daze surrounds you and you can't see clearly. Yet at the same time, you see more clearly than you ever did before. It feels as if your heart is collapsing on itself, imploding...quite literally. _

_I couldn't calm my racing heart. _

_Jack had left._

_He had left me. _

_He had left me alone, without my virtue, pride, heart or money. _

_He had left me with nothing. _

_The younger me fisted her hands in the bed sheets as she crumbled to her knees on the floor. "NO!" she sobbed aloud, heart breaking sobs ripping through her chest as rivers of tears ran down her face as she looked at the moon without seeing it. I could honestly see her ageing. I could see the pain deepening in her soul and her eyes ageing three, four, five, six years at the very least. _

"_I love you, Jack. I love you..." she whispered as her head dropped to her chest in agony, her eyes closing as she continued crying silently. _

_I looked at a younger version of myself as I broke down and tears ran down my face; the older me. I walked towards the younger me and sat beside her on the floor, as she clutched her hair and bit her lips, tears still running strong and fast down her face. I leaned my back against the bed, and cried with her._

_I cried with her as I felt my heart being wrung and squeezed one more time._

_I cried as I felt the crushing pain that I so desperately wanted to leave in my past._

_And the worst thing was that I had known. I had been warned what he was. I had been warned of what he did, and I didn't pay any attention. I had told myself that I wasn't falling in love. And indeed, I hadn't even realised. I only realised when he wasn't there. When he did what he usually did; when he did what made Captain Jack Sparrow be who he was. _

_It was that day, or rather that night, that the younger me had realised how truly deeply she had fallen in love with her childhood friend Jack Sparrow, the man who became a Captain, the Captain who became a pirate, the pirate who became a heartbreaker..._

Jack looked at Pia, who was sleeping in their bed. The concoction that Magdalene had whipped up in a couple of seconds and poured down Pia's throat had worked. But she didn't look peaceful.

Not at all.

Her face was scrunched up in pain and her breathing was increasing in rate, but he could see that it wasn't physical aching as there was no bodily discomfort that he could see.

"Tell me luv. Who be the cur that's hurting ye this much? And I'll hang their bloody head from me _Pearl's_ yard arm fer you." He whispered as he put his hand lovingly on her head.

A single tear ran down her face from beneath her closed eyelids.

**Alright, so I hope you liked it. Please review and take prt in my poll! Thanks a lot :)**


	52. Revelations: Chapter 52

I spent the next day in bed and hardly spoke to Jack. I know that it was unfair and that I worried him out of his wits. But each time I looked at him, I kept remembering my dream, or rather memory. I kept seeing myself wrapped in a bed-sheet, my arms wrapped around my chest as if to stop myself from falling apart, my head bowed and tears coursing down my face.

Even though I knew that I was being irrational and that I was hurting Jack, I couldn't stop myself from cringing every time he touched me. And when he kissed me, a terrifying thought popped in my head. The thought that he could never be mine fully. The thought that so many other women had felt what I felt towards him before me.

And so I had spent the day inside the cabin, staring out of the large windows, reading and lazing around. The monotony of the day was broken when Magdalene paid me a visit.

_I was reading a book, a poetry book, to be exact when there was a light knock on the door and without waiting for my consent; Magdalene opened the door and entered the room with the swiftness of a cat. _

_She sat on the bed beside me and handed me a glass bottle full of a clear oily-looking ointment. "This is for the seizure you 'ad last night," she said. I frowned as I took the bottle. "Will it repeat itself?" I asked. "I'm afraid so." She said gravely. _

_I sighed as I leaned back against a propped pillow, wincing as my still healing back rubbed a little too harshly against the cotton night gown. _

"_What really happened to me last night?" I asked. She took hold of my hand, and while closing her eyes ran her fingertips lightly on my palm, tickling me slightly. _

"_You 'ave been force fed a drink, yes? A drink that takes over your consciousness, yes?" _

"_Yes. How do you know?" _

"_Your skin. It feels drier than usual. I'm afraid, that you 'ave not yet rid you'self from this drink." _

_My throat constricted itself in anger. "So this is all Beckett's fault?" I hissed. She shrugged. I took a deep breath and ran a shaking hand through my hair, trying to calm down. "How do I rid myself of said effects?" _

"_What were you forced to do?" she asked. _

"_Tell the truth?" _

"_Until you tell the truth to the person tha' asked you, will not find peace." She said._

I frowned as I turned and started pacing the length of the cabin once again.

I was pacing.

And thinking.

I was thinking about Beckett and the battle between _the Black Pearl_ and _the Flying Dutchman_ against _the Endeavour_.

I remember it being blasted into a thousand smithereens and hardly finding any survivors. That is when I stopped and my frown deepened.

'_Then how did Beckett survive?'_ I thought to myself.

Clearly it was humanely impossible for him to survive such an explosion. Not to mention that he had no scars or deformities whatsoever.

"Then how?" I puzzled to myself.

'_Humanely, humanely...'_

I knew that the answer was within those words, but it eluded me like an eel.

My thoughts turned to Jack. He too had escaped a terrible fate without any visible scratch. He was eaten by the Kraken and delivered to the Locker. Yet there he was, steering _the Pearl_ right at that very moment.

Obviously, he had supernatural help; it was all due to Calypso's help. I gasped and hit my left hand with my right hand as I realised what happened (and winced at the resulting pain in my broken arm).

"Beckett had supernatural help himself! Obviously, a god or goddess helped him!"

'_But who? And at what price?_' I ruled out the possibility of Hades or Thanatos, gods of death.

He had caused several deaths and was giving them an overload of work. So they wouldn't have helped him get back to life.

Then who?

I moved over to the window and opened it. The cool sea breeze flew in like a soft breath, teasing my hair and leaving its moistness on my lips. However, it felt warm around me, to a certain extent. I smiled, feeling a lot calmer at the feeling of the sea breeze.

Obviously this was Calypso's doing.

Obviously she had helped in the destruction of _the Endeavour_. And I frowned again.

The sea.

The sea had been becoming a lot more crowded at that time. Pirates, Pirate Lords, Jones, merchants, the East India Trading Company, the Navy... And Beckett had been doing a lot of cleaning up. My frown deepened.

And the sea became a lot more crowded once Calypso had been released. I barely wanted to think the thought. It couldn't be that this was all a scheme, could it? Perhaps a scheme that someone had plotted?

"All these happenings do seem like a very well plotted out game," I said softly to myself. I considered the idea that it was all a plot. Who would benefit from it all? Who would get an easier life at the end?

I had no idea who it was.

All I knew was that Beckett was just a pawn.

Nothing more.

I looked at the cotton nightdress that I was wearing and hurried over to Jack's chest of clothes. I quickly pulled out a crumpled shirt and breeches and, ignoring the pain in my arm and back, put them on quickly and ran out on deck.

I stopped as soon as the hot glare of the sun hit me in the face with full force and shielded my eyes with my arm. I quickly took in the scene in front of me, and without waiting to process it in full; I took off running towards the helm.

"Jack! I need to speak to you, in the cabin. Now!" I said out of breath. It wasn't because the little run had tired me out, far from it. But the little jostling that I had given myself resulted in a lot of pain on my part. He frowned at me.

"Wha' is it, love?" he asked.

"Not here." I whispered in his ear.

"Can ye wait fer a minute? Cotton'll be taking the wheel soon, love." I nodded. After all, if what I was thinking was true, there was nothing we could do to change the 'hidden person's' mind, could we? I closed the cabin's door behind me and started pacing, being quite unable to sit still.

So that was why Beckett seemed quite keen on Jack. Jack was the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean. And I had also forgotten Chevalle. When I was captured, Chevalle was a prisoner as well. He was the Pirate Lord of the Mediterranean, before he made me Pirate Lord, that is.

So that was why he had been captured. And that was why he had given me the Mediterranean Lordship crap. Not because he wanted retirement, but because he wanted less peril in his life.

"That brings us to the next problem. How did Ronda know that I was 'the key' to the cave?"

I pondered on that question for far longer. I thought about my experience on his ship. To be honest, it was quite easy to plan my escape. He must've been very stupid to trust me alone in his cabin. I mean, who in his right senses trusts a woman who was a known associate of Jack Sparrow? A woman that was part of his crew?

I had only ever heard of two other women before me that had stayed on _the Black Pearl_, Anamaria and Elizabeth. And no one trusted _them_.

Elizabeth became Pirate King and Pirate Lord of Singapore, and Anamaria had become a captain, the last time I heard of her.

So for someone to trust _me_ would be a clear indication of their stupidity. So Ronda couldn't have been behind it all.

"That would mean that Ronda is another pawn."

'_But whose?_'

"Chevalle also seemed to know. How did he know?" One couldn't call Chevalle stupid. That much was obvious. Could Ronda have been Chevalle's pawn? I didn't know why, but it seemed highly unlikely to me. I took a piece of parchment and wrote down the names _Beckett, Ronda_ and _Chevalle_. I put a large 'P' for pawn next to Beckett and Ronda. However, I paused when I came next to Chevalle.

What was I supposed to mark him as?

I had no idea so I put a question mark next to him.

I put a thin line between Ronda and Beckett and underneath it wrote '_Connected?'_

"Wha' ye got there, love?" a voice said behind my ear. I threw my left hand backward in fright, smacking the person behind me in the face. Obviously, I had failed to realise that someone was behind me from their hot breath against my ear.

A string of swear words escaped my lips as my arm exploded in pain, and another oath escaped the one that I had smacked. I turned, holding my arm and howling in pain to see Jack holding his nose.

"Wha' the ruddy hell are ye tryin' to do? Ruin me bloody nose?" he hissed, wincing as he felt his sore nose. "You were the one that startled me!" I said. "Wha' the hell's gotten into you today Pia? You've been acting skittish aroun' me, sepndin' yer day all morose and mopin' like in here, runnin' aroun' as if ye've jus' discovered Doom's Day itself...what's goin' on?"

"Nothing, I just...I'm not feeling particularly over the top. Jack, I've been thinking about Beckett."

He frowned.

"Wha' about him?" he growled.

"It seems to me as if he's only being used."

"O'course. That makes sense. Did I tell ye that I'm the pope, darlin'?" he said sarcastically.

"Oh, shut up Jack, I'm being serious! What if he owes someone a pleasure? What if this someone is tad bit more than he can handle and Beckett has to do his bidding?"

"Like who?"

"Oh, I don't know; someone supernatural perhaps? Someone on the same level as Calypso?"

"She wouldn've helped him, love."

"I didn't say that Calypso helped him, idiot. I'm saying someone like her, as strong as her." I frowned "Or perhaps stronger." I whispered.

"What makes ye think she ain't strong, love?"

"I didn't say that. But certainly she isn't the strongest. She was bound inhuman form wasn't she? Now I've been thinking, the sea is becoming crowded lately. You know...Calypso, pirates, Pirate Lords, the Navy, the Company, Merchants, Jones...what if there's someone who wants a cleaner sea? Someone who had no problems before?"

"Such as who, love?"

"I don't know. I did the whole figuring out process. You do the guess work. You're lucky that way," I bit back.

"I'll think about it." He said. I huffed and turned away from him as I stumbled over to the bed and dropped myself on it. He tutted to himself as he turned and swayed to the door. "Wha' a waste o' time..." he said.

And at that moment, I wanted nothing more than to wrap my one good hand around his neck and squeeze till his tongue stuck out like a dog's. But instead, I contented myself by grabbing the nearest item, which so happened to be a thick heavy book and threw it towards his head. He simply ducked and continued on his way.

"Good ter see, ye're finally back, love," he smirked at me before closing the door behind him.

Practically that was the only 'interesting' thing that happened in my day. Because when Jack came back in the cabin, I had already drunk some of Magdalene's concoction, and was already fast asleep. It did stop the physical pain, but it didn't stop the flow of dreams, or rather the flow of memories...

_I was in Tortuga; the habitable part of Tortuga, where the poorer folks lived to be exact. As I looked around me, I noticed that the day had already progressed to late afternoon and was almost over to early evening._

_I was in a small dusty street. The shacks that surrounded it were dilapidated and extremely shabby; some of them even lacking glass windows. _

_The sun was shining brightly but the street still remained in the dark. As I was observing the dilapidated wooden houses, I noticed a small group of people. _

_A beautiful young girl was behind a woman. She was on the verge of womanhood, but still not quite free of her childhood. Usually, young children entering early adolescence, have a rather...awkward phase; a too thin or too bulging body, inflamed skin, a too tall or too short appearance... but this girl, she looked like a miniature version of the woman in front of her. _

_The girl wasn't very tall, but she wasn't very short either. Her dark black tresses were woven into a very untidy plait. Even though her tanned skin was dirtied, her large dark brown eyes shone with mischief and innocence mixed in an unlikely combination. _

_Her hands were behind her back and she was rocking on the balls of her feet. She was wearing boys' clothes; brown breeches tatty dirty shirt and barefoot. _

_There was a tiny petite redhead in a very revealing red dress in front of her. And my heart stopped. I instantly knew who she was. _

_Her curly spiral tresses gleamed in the little sunlight that reached her. Her skin was a delectable creamy white and I could see her shiny azure eyes were full of life. Her peach coloured lips were slightly parted, revealing her perfect white teeth and showing her lips' softness and suppleness. She was a true beauty; a vision. _

_I hurried towards my mother and my younger self. _

"_But she's only eleven years old! How do you expect her to work?" she was saying. It was only then that I noticed the man standing in front of her. He was wearing a simple pair of black breeches, black buckled shoes and clean white shirt._

"_Frankly, I don't care. She's as good as any adult now, so she has to pay for her lodgings." He was saying. "She's only ten!" my mother exclaimed. _

"_Exactly! Ten year olds have a nasty habit of destroying things." _

"_First of all, she hardly spends an hour in the house that you rented me. And second of all, the house was empty when you rented it to us. So there's really nothing for her to break. " My mother retorted. His next action was so quick that I hardly noticed it. One moment the landlord was glaring at her and the next he had slapped my mother so hard that she almost lost balance._

_At that moment, a tiny hurricane rushed from behind her skirts, turned around his legs and pinched him. He turned and caught the small bundle, cursing the hell out of it. "You're testing my patience you little curse!" he spat as he held the ten year old version me from my waist in front of him. _

_The ten year old me crossed her arms and frowned and stuck her tongue out at him in defiance. His glare turned into a full blown scorching scowl. _

"_Don't you stick out your tongue at me, you filthy brat!" he hissed as he shook her indignantly. I could see the younger me's teeth rattling at the shaking, and hear the shrill squealing. And a moment later, I saw my dark head of untidy curls bend towards our landlord's arm and sink my teeth in his meaty forearm._

_His scream echoed around the deserted dusty street as he let go of the younger me. I laughed to myself as I saw my small hands flinging themselves up and clinging to his arm while the small jaw tightened like a vice around as he shook the child-me like a rat. My mother was trying to stifle her laughter with one hand covering her mouth, as the other hand held her corseted stomach, her breasts bouncing with each hearty laugh. _

_The landlord struck the younger me between the shoulder blades, and I instantly dropped to floor. I winced as I remembered the shock I had felt when I had felt his blow. I know this may seem a little strange, but it had been the first time that an adult had laid a hand on me. That's right; my mother had never smacked me. The child-me was still on the floor, staring at the landlord in surprise. _

_I still remembered how I had thought that it was all a joke. But that fantasy was crushed as the young-me saw his shoe coming towards her face; fast. My mother had stopped laughing, and was now screaming and scratching at our landlord's face. _

"_You dare lay your hand on _MY_ daughter! You filthy, pox-ridden, diseased, cursed, bloody, bilge-soaked, rum-headed _CUR_!" she screamed. However, her defence was unnecessary as I saw the child-me quickly roll out of the way of the assaulting foot, bite him once hard in his thigh, and run away. My mother as soon as she saw me running away, quickly turned and was about to follow me, but he caught her long red curls and hauled her back. "Do you honestly think that I would let you and that bastard of yours do this to me without payback, you filthy whore?" he hissed. I (meaning the present day me) had stopped laughing and edged closer to my mother._

_Without waiting for a reply, his hand dived in her breasts and he ripped her corset forcibly. "No!" She struggled against him as he pulled at her hair once more and turned her towards him. _

"_I _will_ take what I want. Whore." He hissed as he spat in her face. He threw her to the ground from her hair and tore at her skirt. I immediately realised what was going to happen and closed my eyes and ran blindly away, trying in vain to blot out what was going to happen. _

_But her screams followed me everywhere, until they were joined by my very own screams; tore from my throat when I couldn't take any more of my mother's tortured voice. _


	53. The Fight: Chapter 53

**Alright, so I apologise for not updating for along time. But I recieved my exam results and...well let's just say that I felt I did better than the marks I recieved. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Thanks go to LORI, trainsgirl13 and ValueMyHeart. Thanks a lot for your lovely comments!**

**Reply to LORI:**

**Thanks for your advice (review for chapter 51), I really appreciate :). And yeah, Pia has gone through quite a lot, hasn't she? And it doesn't end here...That's all I'm saying ;) ! Thanks for your reviews, I really appreciate them!**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I'm only borrowing POTC.**

The months gradually passed, and my flesh wounds healed. Slowly, but steadily.

However, the drink's effects were still present. Sometimes they would weaken, and then they would come back with a vengeance. But they were always there.

My situation with Jack slowly improved. '_How_?' you might ask. Simple; I convinced myself that he never ran after a woman as much as he ran after me.

He never accepted a woman as part of his own crew if he wasn't going to gain something from it.

He never shared his cabin aboard _the Pearl_ with any other woman (or any other person for that matter).

He never ran after any woman to rescue her, if it wasn't going to benefit him.

He never went to rescue a woman who was in prison.

He never sailed to place that a woman asked just for the heck of it.

And he never tolerated meeting a woman's family, much less a family that she herself didn't even know she had.

All in all, he never helped a person as much as he helped me, for nothing.

After all, he _was_ a pirate. I knew that he felt something for me, but I wasn't sure what. Was it friendship?

After all, it was hard to find a friend in our world.

Was it perhaps a brotherly bond?

Well, it could be, but I doubted it. After all, he'd have to be sick to sleep with a woman whom he considered as a sister.

As I was saying, before I got side-tracked in analysing Jack's character, my wounds healed but the nightmares continued, reminding me of every bad memory. As a result of my fitful nights, my strength started to weaken, and I was no longer fit to work on _the Pearl_.

But during those months, I didn't only think about Jack. No, far from it. I also discovered a secret that Elizabeth was keeping buried in her conscience.

She was with child, and she hadn't told anyone, not even Will.

Needless to say, I 'encouraged' her to tell Will and Jack. Will because he was the father and Jack because he was the Captain. And even if she didn't speak up anyway, someone would've noticed; what with her developing baby-bump, morning sickness, mood swings...

Elizabeth's pregnancy had progressed and was in the later stages, and _the Pearl_ was headed towards Shipwreck Cove. I figured that Jack wanted to get Elizabeth out of his hair seeing as she was nearing the end of her pregnancy.

And so, it was that one morning when I walked out on deck, after a particularly difficult night, to see _the Pearl_ was docking at Shipwreck Cove. Gibbs was also out there, arguing with Jack, nothing out of the ordinary. However, as soon as I was within ear-shot they stopped abruptly and Jack, acting all fidgety swayed over to me.

"Pia, da'lin'. Wha're you doin' out here all by lonesome?" he asked, steering me towards the cabin. I frowned.

"I'm not 'by my lonesome'. What were you talking about?"

"What do you mean?"

"When you and Gibbs were talking, earlier. You stopped when you saw me. What were you talking about?"

"Ah, that. Nothing, luv. Just Mr. Gibbs complain' about the low amount of rum."

"Then why stop when I approach?"

"Because he didn' take his daily dose, luv." He said as he closed the door. I narrowed my eyes at him, not believing one word he said.

"Come on, get dressed, luv. We're goin' ashore." He said.

I strode over to my chest and picked up my breeches.

"Ah, no, no, no luv. Put on a dress today. We're be visitin' me da'."

"I am not putting on a dress!"

"But luv, I haven't seen me da' in ages,"

"But I saw him! In Port Royal! And you don't rule me!"

"I'm the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean!"

"And I'm the Pirate Lord of the Mediterranean!"

"But we're closer to the Caribbean than the Mediterranean, so we'll be doing what I said. Savvy?"

"No! Not savvy! I don't give one blasted cursed damn about what you said! I'll wear my breeches, and that's final!"

"No! Not final! Captain gives orders on this ship!"

"I am a Captain!"

"But we're not on _the Star_, eh? This is _the Black Pearl_! _I_ am Captain of _the Pearl_! You lost your ship!" He said, as he turned around, giving me his back.

"Yeah, why don't you rub it in my face, you bloody fool!" I screamed.

"Pia, I-I didn' mean it like th-"

"Of course, you didn't," I scoffed.

"I didn' mean it like tha' and you know it!"

"No, you didn't, you only wanted to throw salt on the wound, didn't you?"

"Just shut up, will you?"

"No, I won't! I'm not some simpering doll that will stay as she's put! And you don't rule me!"

"I said shut up, you fishwife!" He said as he turned to face me and swung his hand.

His hand connected with my face and the resounding slap resounded in the suddenly quiet cabin. My red cheek hurt, but not as much as my pride, and (as cheesy as it sounds) my heart. I turned around, holding my cheek, silently.

He sighed.

"I-Pia, I didn' mean-"

"Stop trying to sugar coat me, Jack. I'm still _not_ wearing a dress though." I said as I turned to face him again. He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips into a thin line, turning white with anger.

"This is _my_ ship. I'll do as I please. And you'll do _I _say, savvy?"

"Of course, you'll do as you'll please, which includes hitting me. Don't you?" I said popping the T in anger.

"Oh, don't be silly. That was only one time, by mistake. It was your fault and I-"

"Stop trying to excuse yourself, you sorry excuse for a man! And it was every bit your fucking fault! Not mine! I do not control your hand with a string!" I shouted.

"You're the one who jus' don' fuck' listen, you wench! You never do as you're told, and you always end in trouble! And who's the one to have to save you every bloody time? ME!"

"Oh, so according to you, that mutiny was my fault? I was the cause for THIS?" I screamed, as I ripped the bandages from around my brand and shoved the pearly white '_P_' brand under his noes.

"WELL DONE! YE FINALLY GOT SOMETHIN' RIGHT! ISN' IT OBVIOUS THAT IT WAS YER FAULT?"

"Well, guess what _Captain_, Barbossa's mutiny must've been your fault, not once, but _twice_, remember that. and I got _this_, because I defended you and refused to fart information about you to Beckett, you ungrateful wretch!"

His eyes darkened, and his nostrils flared in anger.

"Don't-you-dare-and-go- there?" He spluttered as his fist raised in anger.

"Go on! Hit me again! And I'll cut your fucking balls!"

His lips were a thin white line, and his eye twitched in fury.

"Do as I say, or you're shark bait!"

"Fine, _Captain_. I'll do what you say, lest you throw me in the brig for disobeying." I hissed at him. "Now if you don't mind, please go out. I have a dress to put on, _Captain_."

His eyes narrowed even more, and a muscle twitched in his jaw in annoyance. "Very well, Miss Sterlin. I'll ask Mr. Ragetti and Mr. Pintel to bring you the wooden tub with hot water. We wouldn't want to appear improper now, would we?" he said through gritted teeth, as he strode over to the door, sway forgotten, and slammed the door shut.

I smiled a small smile.

"So that's the way you want it to be, isn't it? I'll show you how '_proper'_ I can be. I learned from the best after all."

And so I pulled a chest from underneath the bed and, while waiting for the hot water, started to search for the dress that I was to wear. I took out a corset that was tied from the front, wincing in disgust, and one petticoat along with a pair of white silk stockings.

That was when I saw the black silk of the dress.

It was a very simple dress; made of black silk with a square neckline. The sleeves ended somewhere around my elbows with a simple white satin ruffle. White roses were embroidered on the stomacher and down the middle of the skirt; a white water fall ruffle made of chiffon fell elegantly, attached from a silver brooch.

The brooch was very simple; it only consisted of a single large black pearl in the middle surrounded by five silver large petals. In the chest, I also found a pair of black satin slippers with a white rose embroidered on it. I immediately knew that that was the dress I was to wear. I put the dress and shoes on the bed, and after pushing the chest under the bed with a squeaky protest, hurried over to Jack's treasure chest.

I knew what he had hidden in there, even though he didn't suspect it. After all, how could I have escaped from the boredom of being in the cabin without admiring the lovely glimmer of gold every now and then?

I smiled to myself as I picked the lock with a thin golden wire that was once a hair ornament with a rose at the end of it. The familiar click of the lock opening was like music to my ears as I removed the golden wire and opened the small treasure chest. There was a heap of gold, silver and white gold in the chest, studded by the glint of the occasional gem and the shimmer of a couple of pearls.

I disregarded nearly everything in the chest as I pushed aside the expensive jewels away from where I had put my favourites. However, I shut the lid with a snap as I heard scrapings at the door and realised that Pintel and Ragetti had arrived with the tub of water, along with a ragged towel and a cloth bag "from the Cap'n."

As soon as the door closed behind them, I opened the bag and emptied its contents on the bag. A piece of lavender soap, a crystal bottle of oil, a piece of kohl, some rouge and powder lay before on the bed, along with a scrappy piece of yellowed parchment. I instantly recognized Jack's loopy and elegant handwriting.

_Use these. I want to impress me da'._

That was all that was written.

And my eye twitched in anger. He was treating me like a trophy, something he could flash around and brag about. As if I was some parrot caught during one of his travels.

I chucked the soap in the tub, where it landed with a splash. I removed my clothes and slowly eased myself in the water, trying to remove the frown from my face and actually enjoy the warm bath, which was a rare commodity aboard a pirate ship. I took the lavender scented soap in my hands and rubbed it over my body, lathering myself. I would've preferred if I used a small cloth to do that, but you know, being on a pirate ship, doesn't always come equipped with all my desires.

Pretty soon, I was wrapped in the towel and brushing (or perhaps I should say wrestling) with my hair. After several sighs of frustration, my hair was brushed and coiled in large loose curls.

You might wonder how I did it, and the answer is quite simple. By winding the curls around my finger while my hair was still wet and pinning the curls on one side of my head, so the right side I could fit a hair ornament and on the left side the curls looked like a silky mist.

I opened Jack's treasure chest and moved the gold to the side again, uncovering my favourites of the small fortune. I took out a white gold comb. It wasn't very large but it wasn't very small either. It could fit in the palm of my hand quite comfortably.

It was a dainty comb with four flowers over it. Two were quite prominent and in the centre of the ornamental part. They were quite large in comparison to the two smaller ones at the sides and all four flowers were encrusted with rhinestones. The two small ones had a tiny black pearl in their centre while the two large ones had a large rhinestone surrounded by three rhinestone encrusted petals. Around the flowers were several other small black pearls.

It was a sight to behold, especially when it was pinned in dark black curly tresses, such as mine. I took a small mirror which had its frame encrusted with rubies from Jack's chest, and applied the kohl around my eyes, very much like Jack's but with a lot more style. Then I applied a tiny amount of rouge to my cheeks and turned towards the bed, where I had deposited several items of clothing earlier and winced.

I sighed.

There was no getting out of it.

So I first put on the stockings and then the petticoat and slippers. Next came the corset. I won't go into detail describing it, I'll only say that it crushed the air out of me. Lastly came the dress, which fit like a glove, thanks to the corset's help.

I took the crystal bottle from the bed, opened it and smelled its oil. I instantly knew that it was perfume oil, as a strong smell of gardenias wafted out. So I applied a tiny dab on my wrists, the insides of my elbows, below my ears, on my chin and in the hollow at the base of my neck.

As I put the perfume bottle next to the chest, I took three last items from the chest before closing it. A pair of earrings and a ring. First I put on the earrings.

They were quite simple, but very beautiful. They had a small crystal stud and from it dropped a sparkling rhinestone ball that shone when the light was caught in it. From the crystals, a black pearl was attached.

I also put on my silver sparrow necklace and lastly the ring.

This was my favourite article of clothing. The band itself was composed of three bands; white gold, yellow gold and white gold. At the top was the form of a shell made of white gold and encrusted with eighty two white diamonds. (Yes, I actually counted the diamonds when I had nothing better to do). The shell was designed in a way that it looked as if it was shyly showing its prize; a shiny black pearl. On the inside of the ring's band there were two words engraved; '_My Love'_. Obviously, this ring had once been an engagement ring, or at least a man had intended to give it to his woman.

I slipped it on my left ring finger and looked at myself in the glass windows of the cabin. I could almost pass for an upper class young woman. And I say almost because my tanned skin and the silvery '_P_' scar on my right arm revealed me for who I was.

Before I left, I checked that Calypso's bangle was still secured tightly around my wrist and that the golden pendant of the piece of eight was well hidden in my bosom.

And I walked out, closing the door behind me.

Jack's Point of View

He was tired of waiting for her. He had washed himself as well, and wasn't as 'friendly' with washing as she was. And still he was ready before her...women; always the same. He heard the door creak open and looked at Pia as she walked out.

And his jaw dropped open.

She was _beautiful_.

There was no other word for it.

Wonderful, amazing, lovely, gorgeous, ravishing.

Alright, so maybe there were other words.

But you can't really blame a man for not knowing what to say when seeing the woman he wants and loves looking like a goddess.

The black dress looked as if it was weaved from the night sky and the sea foam. Her skin; so velvety and such a lovely golden-brown. Her eyes; inky pools of mystery which were accentuated with the kohl I had given her. And her lips, God, her plush lips looked like soft petals, slightly parted. Her hair was like a dark mist around her head, pinned only on one side, where the tell tale glitter of diamonds and pearls was too obvious. Her earrings looked as she had stars hanging from her ears.

And when she stepped towards him, that smell; that wonderful smell of lavender and gardenias... so intoxicating, so...bewitching.

He swallowed his spit and shuffled his feet, as he pulled his coat to cover the front of his breeches, as it was already feeling uncomfortably tight.

She stopped and looked at him.

The look in her eyes told him that she knew exactly what her effect was on him and that she was suddenly unsure of how to proceed, even though this had been her plan all along.

'_I knew that I should have chosen her clothes and not let her decide.'_

"Shall we proceed, Captain?" she said politely. Even though she said it in a very polite way, he could still detect the slightly icy undertone, laced in her words delicately.

"Yes, milady." He said in the same tone as her, as he took her hand and led her off the ship.

It took all his will power to hold her hand instead of grab her; take her back to his cabin and keep her occupied all day and night.

**Alright, so this was more like...a fillery chapter, but I hope the description of Pia makes up for it! **

**The reason that I did this chapter this way was because I wanted to ask all my readers a question. I'm thinking of inserting a love-scene, and here's the question: Do you want me to write the love-scene or skip it?**

**Thanks! Review and reply!**


	54. Of gods and birds: Chapter 54

**Alright, so um, I apologize for the terribly long wait, but I'm redoing the exams to enter University so I could become a doctor. And as expected, I'm drowning in my text books, hehe. Anyway, thanks a lot to jeffhardyluvsme, trainsgirl13, LORI and anon.**

**Reply to LORI:**

**Heyya, Thanks a lot for the review! :) Alright, I'll do the love scene, hehe :) Thanks a lot for your support, and sorry this update was so late, but...yeah, school has a habit of draining me and giving me a major writer's block. Thanks again! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Reply to anon:**

**Hey, I'm glad you like my story so much :) Really, I am. And I'll write the love scene, don't worry ;). Thanks a lot for the review!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own POTC, if I did, I'd drive Jack crazier than he already is :p.**

Pia's Point of View

I can't tell you how strange I felt; walking down streets full of pirates and me looking like some posh lady. And being used to breeches made it even more awkward than it ought to have been.

However, what really irked me was that Jack didn't seem to mind; on the contrary, he seemed to enjoy parading and seeing people watching us. As if I was some expensive piece of jewellery. And I knew that he was smirking, on the inside, at my discomfort. I had to literally bite my tongue to stop from giving him a well deserved tongue lashing, but I didn't.

And so we walked, or should I say paraded, around Shipwreck Cove until we arrived at a large ship which was speared in the middle by a simply enormous column-like rock. Actually it was more like a grand Ark made by a very pompous owner, but anyway, you know what I mean.

I knew, just by looking at, that it wasn't a sea-worthy vessel, or had ever been for that matter. It was made of quite a mixture of different types of wood; including oak, mahogany and rosewood. It was quite grand and extravagant, with sculptures of mermaids and frolicking dolphins, sirens and fish, gulls and all manner of creatures associated with the sea.

"Sirens and Mermaids…never really quite grasped the difference between 'em. They're both half fish anyway you look at 'em." Jack muttered to himself.

"Sirens sing and mermaids don't, at least if you hear a mermaid sing you won't be as enchanted as if you heard a siren. That's the main difference." I said.

"Oh," was all he said.

We had come at a grand staircase that was connected to the middle of the ship's hull, where a large arch could be found. Jack stopped and after a full minute staring at the arch, he put his foot on the first stair and, squirming all the while, started to climb the stairs, with me on tow. He stopped again at the edge of the arch, and with a steadying breath we stepped inside.

I had no idea that Teague's house, if you could call it a house, was so…full of splendour. The corridor was made of a combination of dark woods, the same types of woods as of the carvings and hull. Sitting on a stool beside the arch was a man. He was resting his back against the wooden wall, his chin resting on his chest as he snored gently.

"Remind me to tell Teague not to work his employees too hard," I said as we walked towards the end of the corridor where we stopped at the arched French doors.

He raised his fist and was about to knock, but his fist seemed to stop of its own accord.

He swallowed, tugged a little at his shirt and tried to knock again.

Only to stop as he did before.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, before I raised my fist and rapped my knuckles sharply three times against the door, receiving a scorching and disbelieving mixture of a glare from Jack.

"Come in." Teague's unmistakeably rumbling voice said from the other side of the door.

Jack took a deep breath, and like a swimmer about to plunge in a river full of crocodiles, grasped the cold brass knob and pushed the door open.

I was sure the room was decorated as grandiosely as the corridor and the carvings on the outside of the hull; if not more so.

And indeed it was. The cabin was full of light, which was coming through the open window. Red damask curtains, that were hanging at the window, were drawn to the side and a light sea breeze was swirling around the heavy curtains. The furniture was made of mahogany, and as expertly carved as the rest of the-er, ship. An ornate book-shelf filled with elegant antique books ran along the side directly in front the doors. There was also a heavy desk in the middle of the room where a tall, finely dressed man was sitting, concentrating on a pile of parchment that was resting in front of him on the desk.

His large pheasant feathered hat cast shadows over his face, so it was impossible to read his expression. But I was sure, that Teague was not displeased to see his only son.

"Why are you gaping like a fish, boy? Close the door and come in." He said. His voice was deep and its rich timbre was more than evident.

The calm scritch scratch of the quill was silent as its feathery master was lying next to the ink bottle.

Jack's cheek twitched as we closed the door behind us and walked to Teague's desk. I immediately sat in one of the deep red velvet covered armchairs, while Jack remained standing looking very much like a living walking stick.

Teague raised an eyebrow.

"Well? Sit down."

And Jack, looking very much like a little boy sat down at the edge.

"Can't say I was expecting you, Jackie."

Jack's nose twitched.

"I wasn't expecting the turn of events meself."

Teague's eyebrow rose.

"Meaning what exactly, Jackie?"

I stopped myself from snorting. Teague had always, _always_ been suspicious of Jack. And it seemed as if the situation from my childhood hadn't changed. Jack mentioned towards me with his head.

"Ask her."

It was my turn to be surprised. "Would you mind specifying? Because I'm finding it a little hard to keep up with all the events in my life." I said drily.

Jack sighed.

"Chevalle, the Medallion...Need I go on?" he said.

"Oh that." I replied.

I turned towards Captain Teague. "I was captured by Beckett and there I met Capitaine Chevalle." I stopped and moved my numerous skirts to the side so I could reach inside my hidden pocket without giving Teague any inappropriate views."He gave me this."

I took out the golden medallion of the piece of eight and held it from the chain in front of him. It swung backwards and forwards, glinting in the light pouring in from the window. Teague did not speak, but I knew that he knew what I was showing him. I had told him that it was given to me by Capitaine Chevalle, after all.

The expression on his face was solemn. What came out of his mouth surprised me to no end. But I didn't show it.

"You do know that you'll have to spend at least a year, living in the Mediterranean?" he said.

"Yes, I knew that."

"And are you ready for it?"

"I haven't decided yet." He raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't know about it." He stated.

"I did."

He chuckled.

"Pia, I knew you since you were a baby. I can read you like a book. You didn't know about the living arrangements, did you?"

I knew then that I had no other option but to say the truth. "Alright, fine. I didn't know." I grumbled. "But I'll think about it."

Teague offered a weak smile. I knew he was remembering the old days, when Jack and I were still children. I don't know how I knew, I just knew.

"If you're to become a Pirate Lord you'll have to read the Code; cover to cover. There's no need to remember it, you just need to read it." He said.

My nose twitched.

"It's in the Code." He said, noticing my reluctance.

"Alright, alright. I didn't say anything." I grumbled as I stood up.

Teague rang a small silver bell, its high tinkling sound piercing my eardrums. "Jackie, stay here." Teague said as the door opened and the guard that had been sleeping stepped into the room.

"Take Captain Sterlin to read the Code." I turned to stare at him, my mouth open. How did he know that I had been a captain? I knew that he understood the question in my eyes, but he only offered a smile as a response.

I knew that Teague and Jack were going to have a conversation; a good long talk. It was obvious that what Teague wanted to say to his son was meant to be known only by Jack. As I walked out the door, following Teague's guard, I burned to stay behind and find out what they were going to discuss. But I had no means of doing so.

Third person's point of view

The door closed and Teague turned to look at his son, who had the characteristic look of a boy had been caught red handed while being mischievous.

"I knew you wanted to talk about something privately." Teague said.

Jack rolled up his right sleeve in response to uncover the P brand. His father frowned, seeing the scar marring his son's skin, but didn't voice his annoyance.

"You see this? She has one like it." Jack said.

"Beckett," was all Teague said, as Jack nodded in response.

"We, that is to say, me lass and I, have come to think that maybe our dear friend is not the real problem." Teague nodded, prodding him to continue. "Bootstrap's son is not Captain of _the Dutchman_ anymore. Fish-face is. He's back. Beckett is still twitching, and he shouldn't be alive. I saw to that. Pia came up with a theory, which I think is ridiculous and makes a lot of sense, that Beckett is being used, by someone stronger than him. Maybe stronger than Calypso herself. Someone who lost a considerable amount of power when she was realised. Someone who wants his territory and power back all for his onsies. The seas."

Teague regarded his son with narrowed eyes.

"Poseidon." He said, as Jack nodded.

"And what are ye going to do, Jackie?"

Jack shrugged, showing he had no idea.

"Let's start from the beginning, aye? Why did Beckett brand Pia?"

"Because he wanted to marry me lass to 'ave leverage on me and improve his position. She escaped, so he caught 'er again and decided to never let 'er forget 'im."

"Jones, why hasn' he been after you yet?"

"'Coz he's found 'imself Captain of a ship with few sailors and need the manpower of power of men, either or."

Teague nodded again.

"In short you found yourself your old enemies; Beckett and Jones. And added a new one, Poseidon." Teague said.

Jack stopped and frowned, and then gave a very unconvincing smile. "Aye. That's just about it."

"Pia. Why did Chevalle chose her as a Pirate Lord?"

"Because she happened to be caught at the same time as the old smelly fop."

"And naturally having figured out most of this mess wanted to retire, aye?"

"Aye, the salty old rat."

Teague nodded and looked out of the window, observing the blazing sun.

"What else?"

Jack frowned and opened his mouth to deny any confessions.

"Jackie, I've seen it all, done it all and I survived. I'm your father. I raised you and I know when you're about to lie. Savvy?" Teague said before Jack could even utter a word.

Jack raised his two index fingers, as if about to deliver a sermon.

"Well, technically-"

"I don't have all day, Jack. Start talking."

Jack licked his lips in nervousness and opened his mouth to speak. But no words came out of his mouth. He closed his mouth, swallowed twice and tried to speak again. And failed. He scratched his head, not knowing what to say, or rather knowing what to say and not wanting to.

Teague sighed.

"What d'you tell me about Pia, boy?"

"Nice woman, isn't she? Or pirate, lady pirate. Lot o'trouble she is."

Teague chuckled.

"You love her." He stated.

Jack frowned, his lips slightly parted in shock. "No, I don't." He said, twitching his fingers as if to prove a point.

"I loved your mother." Teague said.

Jack's nose and right side of his lip twitched. And his eyes narrowed. "You're not telling me to have children are you?"

"No."

"Good. I don't need any scruffy little mongrels runnin' around and screaming in me ears." Jack said, his mouth twitching in distaste.

Teague leaned back in his chair, cracking his back and stretching his legs.

"Ye know Jackie, if ye had any little urchin, I'd imagine the child to be just like you." Teague said. A small bubble of satisfaction inflated in his stomach as Jack squirmed in discomfort.

"You were talking about Pia, Da'."

"Ah yes, Pia. What's goin' on between you?"

"She's mine."

"So you love her?"

Jack shrugged.

"I like 'er. But I don't love 'er."

"Then why are ye worried 'er?"

"Why should I be worried? She's peachy. Look at 'er, she's good. Jus' like rum."

"And jus' like rum, she got in your head and is not leaving any time soon, right?" Jack threw up his hands in desperation.

"Fine! I'm obsessed! I can't get her off me bloody mind! That bloody wench is turnin' me into a wimp. She's already 'ad me runnin' all over the place, like Elizabeth did to Bootstrap's whelp."

"Aye, women have a nasty habit of doing that."

"Da'? I'm leavin' 'er here."

"And why's that Jackie?"

"Beckett made 'er drink some potion, the effects are the worst when we're out at sea. And she's weak. She's like a dinghy with a leak. And she won' be gettin' her strength back anytime soon battlin' sea storms and runnin' from Beckett and Jones."

Jack looked away from his father's eyes; his gaze was too piercing. He was afraid that he might discover something. Something that he himself had not acknowledged, that he did not want acknowledged.

"So you're kickin' 'er off _the Pearl_?" Teague's voice was not accusatory.

Jack shook his head. Teague sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"You know she's not the type to stay on land fer long, right?"

"It's been nice to have this little chat, da'." Jack said as he stood up and turned away, heading for the door.

"Jackie."

Jack stopped as he heard his father's voice, and turned his head slightly to the side, his hand on the door knob.

"Better to have that one bird you want in your hand while the others fly away, than watching all the birds fly around you, waiting for them to depart."

Jack opened the door and walked out.

**Alright, that was 53 for ya. I hope you liked it. Yeah, I know most probably you feel like murdering Jack at the moment, but I suggest you don't. You'd have to deal with one crazy Pirate Lord from the Mediterranean :p.**

** The love scene is supposed to be in the next chapter, if everything goes as I planned. We're also reaching the end of this story people. *hides***

**No need to kill me, there will be a sequel. I promise. And I have some pretty good plans for the sequel as well ;).**

**Please review! They really help in removing the writer's block that exams are causing!**


	55. The next chapter: Chapter 55

**So first I'd like to start with my apology for the long absence, but I only finished my exams yesterday. And now it's fingers crossed that I got high enough marks to start the course to become a doctor. **

**No reviews for the last chapter :( I admit, I was a bit sad. I know it was a bit of a filler-y chapter, but some explanation of what was happening was long overdue.**

**Anyway, I'd love to thank ****anime-gurl-4ever****, ****bonitabelle****, ****JoJo1812**** and ****Joyce013****.**

**Oh, just a note; this is the chapter where the love scene is found in. There's also a note of warning before it starts and when it ends, so that anyone who wants to tread the story but not the love scene can :).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own POTC or the picture. It belongs to PunkRockChick on Mibba.**

Pia's Point of View  
Most of the day passed with me reading the Code. It was quite a waste of time really, as I didn't register anything. Only my eyes were seeing the words, as my mind was still wondering in Teague's study with Jack and his father. Only my ears weren't there, so no words that were said could be registered in my mind.

I still had no idea what to do about the Lordship of the Mediterranean. The title itself would give me prestige beyond what I already had. And if the Brethren Court were to ever be assembled again, I'd have a say in the matters discussed. That is, if I was still alive. It also meant that I could go to the Mediterranean and no pirate could ever tell me to go away, seeing as that would be my territory. I could also work it my advantage. Imagine building my own empire, just like Sao Feng and Mistress Ching did. The riches would be unimaginable. And my name would be etched n history; immortalized if you will.

But that title also carried a lot of responsibilities and risks.

First off I would have to spend at least year living in the Mediterranean and I was sure that Jack would not agree with that. So if I accepted, the probability that Jack and I had to part ways would increase by a tenfold. If I were to take the title, I couldn't keep the fact quiet, not in the pirate world.

Rum tended to loosen mouths, and the wrong person might hear about my newly appointed position. Meaning that one of Beckett's spies would find out for sure. That would make the price over my head increase a lot more. And it would become almost impossible to disguise myself and mingle around non-criminals. I would be recognized from the wanted posters for sure.

I'd also have to watch my back a lot more. I was sure that the position of a Pirate Lord was attractive to many, most of whom wouldn't bat an eyelash at putting a knife between my ribs to dispose of me and take my title.

All in all, I had no idea what to do. And it was during the time that I was mulling all this over in my mind that Jack walked in his cabin. For after reading the Code, I went to the cabin on the Pearl. I was too preoccupied thinking that I had even forgotten to change my clothes, the dreaded dress.

He didn't say anything to me; I had almost forgotten our fight before visiting Teague. I turned to look at Jack who was sitting on the bed, the light breeze drifting in from the window ruffling my hair.

And I stopped.

He was resting his elbows on his knees and frowning at the wooden planks that made up the floor. Obviously, whatever had been said between him and Teague had shaken him up, or else gave him quite a lot to think about.

"Jack?"

His name was out of my mouth without I even realized. He looked up, still frowning. As he looked at the exquisite dress, squeezing the life out of me, his frown deepened.  
"Why're you still in that rib-cracking corseted dress, love?"

"If you wanted me to rip it to shreds, there was no need to force me in it. All you had to do was tell me." I said as I motioned towards it.

He rolled his eyes.

"Come on, unlace me. Before I really rip it to shreds." I muttered as I turned giving him my back.

The creak of leather and slight jingling of metal accompanied his sashaying walk towards me and a moment later, his fingers were undoing the laces with ease. Even though his fingers were moving skilfully , leaving a trail of undone laces behind them, he still took his time.  
The dress fell from my shoulders heavily, pooling around my feet like a cloud as his fingers moved to the corset's laces. And a moment later, it fell away from my body, like a cracked shell. It hit the dress with a dull thud, but I hardly noticed.

Jack's fingers were tracing patterns on my lower back; softly, tenderly and, dare I say, affectionately. I couldn't recognize what pattern he was tracing on my scarred back, but I knew that it made sense to him. I don't know how, but I knew it.

I turned my head slightly to the side, and from the corner of my eye I could see that he was biting his lip. "What is it?" I asked softly, holding my arms to my chest to keep the loose thin shift from falling off my body. He frowned, and his hand fell away from my back softly as if waking up from a trance.

"Nothing." He whispered.

"Tell me about the nothing, Jack." I whispered back.

His frown deepened. "I-I just had a thought." He said. I kept quiet.

"I want to-" He stopped. And I knew this time that without any prodding, he would remain quiet.

"Go on."

"Ter ink somethin' on your back, love." He said. My mouth dropped open in surprise.

"What-what kind of inking are we talking about? The permanent type?"

"I've never yet 'eard of the non-permanent type love. If you rule henna, that is."

I licked my lips. I had never really thought about it; getting tattooed that is.

"And what do you want to mark me with?"

He chuckled, his usual glint of mischief gone.

"Tha'd beat the purpose, love."

I turned to look at his face, and by the look he had in his eyes, I knew that he had already won.

"Tell you what. Let's play a game of cards. If I win, you have to tell me what you want to ink me with." I said, a smile spreading on my face.

"And if, ol' Jack wins? As what most probably will 'appen?"

I shrugged. "I'll only get to see the tattoo after it's ready. Nothing obscene, alright?" I said.  
"Trust me, love."

I chuckled as he turned to find his cards.

"That's not a very good assurance." I said as we both sat at his desk and he began to shuffle his pack of cards.

I won't go into detail , describing the game and whatnot. But as you obviously know, Jack won. We played a game that we had learned during our stay in the Maltese Islands. 'Brixkla', the game, has quite some complicated rules. Although when the rules are known by the player, it becomes very easy.

I won't explain the game, it would take me too long. All I'm going to say is that it involves luck, a lot of luck and quick thinking and planning. There are a total amount of one hundred and twenty points and the person who gets the most wins. Jack got sixty two points and I fifty eight, a difference of a Queen.

Jack insisted that we spend the rest of the evening and in a room at his father's 'house' or ship-on-land, whichever you prefer. It wasn't as boring as one might think. Jack had one of his father's servants bring us as much food as possible and we spent a quiet day together.  
As the night was approaching, Jack decided that it was time to deliver the much awaited for tattoo. I can honestly say that I had not given much thought as to how Jack would ink me, but as soon as I saw the needles that he was about to use, I quailed. I'm sure that Jack noticed my look of fear, but he chose to ignore it.

And a couple of hours later, Jack was cleaning the needles while I was sitting up, with a very ugly look on my face.

"That hurt!" I exclaimed as soon as he was done.

"Oh, don't be such a ninny. It stung just a little, that's all"

"I'm terrified of needles, you prick." I grumbled as I stood up and went to the mirror to quench my curiosity, holding the thin and lose shift to my body. I turned around and looked at the small of my back, where he had been inking my skin.

And my jaw dropped open.

On the left side Jack had drawn a sparrow, the size of my palm, in flight, with the bird's beak pointing towards my right shoulder. I looked back at Jack, but he was avoiding my gaze, pretending that he was still cleaning the, now spotless, needles.

"A sparrow." I said quietly.

"Aye. Not obscene, isn' it?" he said, with a weak attempt at his usual tone.  
"But why a sparrow?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Tis jus' a bird, love."

"Why not an eagle then? Or a swan? Or a nightingale?" he shrugged as he turned, giving me his back as he pretended to put the needles in order.

"Jack, tell me why."

He shrugged and said "No reason, you're making a big deal out of it, love."

I walked over to him and grabbed his arm roughly.

"Tell me the truth."

"I already told you."

"You're lying."  
He turned to me, his eyes smouldering, the needles falling from his rather slender fingers.  
"The truth, Jack. No more dancing around. No more lying. No more hiding. Just the bare, plain truth."

His smouldering eyes darkened even more. There was no trace of humour left in his face as he stepped closer to me. His chest was against mine. He was dressed only in a shirt and breeches, having removed his multiple belts and effects before the game. Tension was roiling off him in waves.

"Because you're mine."

His hands went to my waist, squeezing tightly, almost painfully.

"You're mine. And I marked you. No man will ever be able to leave his mark on you like I did, because he would know that I was here first."

His index finger thumped above my heart.

"I was here first. This belongs to me. And only me. You're mine; my territory." He hissed. The intensity in his voice almost scared me. But I held my ground.

"And what about this, Jack?" I whispered as I placed my hand over his heart. "Was I here first? Does it belong only to me?"

He growled and his arms tightened around my waist as he lifted me.

*Warning: Love scene ahead*

His lips crashed into mine as my legs wrapped around his waist and my hands clutched his strong shoulders for support. His lips moved against mine as if he was parched. And his tongue ravaged my mouth like a hungry lion.

His hands ran up and down my back, leaving fire in their wake as I dug my nails in his shoulders. We fell onto the bed, as his right hand buried itself in my voluminous hair while the other tore the flimsy shift hiding my body from his view, his lips attached to mine the whole time.

My hands moved over to his shirt, unbuttoning it without my realizing as he shrugged out of it and his breeches. His lips moved down my neck, sucking on the soft spot that only he knew about. My eyes rolled in the back of my head as his tongue tickled my neck slightly and his hand moved in my undergarments, moving over my flesh softly, yet driving me half mad with desire at the same time.

"That's not fair," I gasped, my back arching off the bed. He chuckled, his lips touching my neck.

"Whoever said, life's fair, love?"

I groaned.

"I don't care."

My nails raked across his tattoo and scar covered back as I moved my hand to his chest.  
"You know, I can drive you...insane." I said as I stroked his chest, my hand going lower and lower. He let out a silent gasp, the air hitting my fired skin. "Don't ye dare." He whispered as his hand wrapped around my wrist. "Watch me." I whispered as I managed to slip my wrist out of his grip and grasped his member in my hand. A strangled gasp escaped his mouth as he bucked. I took this as an opportunity to turn the tables as I managed to turn over and straddle him.

"It's not fair to tease." I whispered in his ear, my lips brushing against his earlobe gently. He shivered and his eyes closed in desire as I kissed his neck and his chest. His hands gripped my hips tightly as I placed an open mouthed kiss directly over his heart. "Minx." He groaned.  
I looked up in his eyes, knowing that my gaze was as fired as his. "I don't care what you say. I don't care how many other women you've had. You're mine. I know I'm the only woman that's managed to get in your head." I murmured in his ear before I occupied him with an arduous kiss.

His arms wrapped around me, one around my waist and the other holding my head tightly as he turned us over once again, his tongue moving over mine, memorizing every crevice, nook and cranny in my mouth. "Enough playing." He whispered as he removed my under garments and wrapped my legs tightly around his waist.  
I could feel him pressing against me, and I knew that in a moment we would be one. He moved slightly, and in one swift second, we were connected, as deeply and intimately as humanely possible. My head dropped back on the bed, my eyes unseeing and my mouth slightly parted.

"Every damn time," I heard him chuckle from somewhere above me. I looked back up at him and moved my hands in his dreadlocked hair.

"Shut up and love me." I growled. "With pleasure, love." He smirked as he moved his hips. I brought his lips down on mine, tightening my legs around him. His pace increased, going faster by the second, as the pleasure increased. His lips left mine as they attached to one of my breasts as my nails dug in his scalp.

A blur of movements and muffled moans later, Jack's face was screwed up, almost as if in pain. "Say it." He growled.

"Jack." I groaned.

"Say it, who you belong to."

"Jack, I'm yours. And you're mine!" I gasped.

That was all he needed. A strangled whimper escaped his lips as he gave a particularly hard thrust and stilled. Hi seed bathed my womb, burning on its way as my muscles contracted around him, pulling him deeper.

The rest of the night passed in a blur. I only remember snatches of it here and there, a burning touch, a fevered kiss, a passionate groan and an ardent sigh.

*End of love scene*

We both slept after our activities, his arms tight around me.

I woke up in the middle of the night. But no one was sleeping beside me. As I ran my hands over the pillow beside me, I detected a shred of warmth, showing that Jack had just gotten up. I looked again and noticed a battered yellowed piece of parchment.  
And my breath caught in my throat.

I couldn't stop my hands from shaking as I reached for it and opened it, the moonlight spilling from the open window enabling me to read it.

Luv,  
I'll be long gone when you read this. I just wanted to say that this is all for your own good. I won't beat around the bush; you're too weak at the moment. We've earned a lot of enemies, and now you're in a place where I know you'll be safe. I know you will not want to listen to me, but for once in your life; stay put. Stay at Shipwreck Cove, where my Da' can look after you. I'll be back in six months.  
Jackie

The note fell from my hand as I looked out of the window and saw a familiar figure moving down the cobbled lantern lit street. I didn't bother to cover myself with the bed sheet as I stood up and looked out the window.

I knew the person, even though his swaggering was gone. He was Jack.  
I ran back to the wardrobe, took out padded stays that could be tied at the front, brown breeches and a shirt and put them on quickly and ran out of the room. I was not going to stay put as I had in the past.

I was going to act.

By the time I ran outside, Jack was nowhere to be found. I knew that he was going to the Pearl, so I didn't wait. I ran down to the docks, hoping to catch up with him.  
But when I arrived, the Black Pearl was not docked; it was already sailing, away from Shipwreck Cove. "Damn you Sparrow!" The shout echoed around the bay, but the ship continued out into the open seas.

I sat at the edge of the pier, as tears rolled down my cheeks silently. I couldn't believe it. I was being left behind once again, thrown away. I don't know for how long I sat there, but when I looked up, the sky was no longer as dark as it had been before. Dawn was approaching.

As I felt the ocean kissing the tips of my toes, I knew what I had to do. I stood up, purpose flooding my body and walked away from the docks, preparing and steeling myself for the next chapter in my life.

**So, this is it people; the end of the story Ocean Kiss. I hoped you liked it! Keep in touch to check for the sequel! Thanks for the support to all who commented and alerted and read my story!**


	56. Notice

So this is not actually a chapter. Just a notice that the sequel is finally out. (Finally). I know, I took so long. But Jack really wore me out. I never expected him to do that, but then again, what should I have expected from Sparrow?

Anyway, the new story is under the name of 'Beginning of Forever'. Go check it from my profile :)


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